Rewriting The Past
by SquirrelWho
Summary: The Doctor made a mistake when he left Rose standing on that beach. A mistake that drove a sliver of ice into his hearts, changing him. He knew what those changes foretold. The only way to save himself, and everyone else, was to alter his past, to bring her back, but everything comes with a price. What price will the universe demand for her return? Doctor/Rose
1. Flesh And Stone

Okay my brilliant peeps. This here is another Doctor/Rose. If you read the summary then you know this story has to do with the Doctor rewriting his past. So, there's lost of cannon, some deviation later after Rose is added in because, come on, you know there would be changes, and lots of spoilers. Title of the Chapter should tell you what episode it's from and, yeah, there you go. :)

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The Doctor took readings with the handheld while Father Octavian worked at prying the service hatch off so they could get into the primary flight deck. The Time Lord paid the Father little to no mind because he was too busy trying to work out what Amy had to do with the cracks.

They started the day of her wedding. Amy's time. What could she have to do with an explosion that could rip a whole in universe? No matter how many times he checked with the handheld the reading came out the same.

"Hurry up and open it," River insisted. "Time's running out."

Time's running out?

"What? What did you say? Time's running out," The Doctor asked, glancing at her. "Is that what you said?"

River looked at him, keeping her gun trained ahead. Confusion evident on her face.

"Yeah, I just meant-"

"I know what you meant. Hush," he insisted, his mind working out the possibilities. "But what if it could?"

"What if what could?" River asked in irritation.

He ignored her irritation because that didn't matter, an idea was forming in his mind and that's what mattered.

"Time. What if it could run out?"

"Got it!" Octavian called.

"Cracks. Cracks in time. Time running out. No. Couldn't be. Couldn't be. But how is a duck pond a duck pond if there aren't any ducks? And she didn't recognize the Daleks," the Doctor said, pausing. Time couldn't run out, could it? No, of course it couldn't, but… "Okay. Time can shift. Time can…change. Time can be rewritten…Ah…" Wait. No. It… "Oh." What if? No. There was no way. But…he held up his finger. Time. It flowed to the right in a circular pattern. He traced the pattern with his finger, but what if…he reversed the pattern. Going over the calculations.

"Doctor Song," Octavian called. "Get through now."

The Doctor heard her moving, entering the service hatch, but that was in the background, beyond his thoughts.

"Doctor?" Octavian said. "Doctor?"

Could it? He smiled, feeling hope for the first time since leaving that godforsaken beach. It was possible. More than possible. "Time can be unwritten."

He couldn't believe he didn't see it before. Didn't notice. He leaned his head against the tree. All that time and he hadn't noticed. Hadn't seen. The time that was being unwritten at the moment was bad, really not good.

"It's been happening all around me and I haven't even noticed," he snapped.

People forgot things…important things.

"Doctor we have to move," Octavian insisted.

"The Cyber King! A giant Cyberman walks all over Victorian London and no one even remembers."

"We have to move. The Angels could be here any second," Octavian said grabbing the Doctor's shoulder.

The Time Lord shrugged him off. This was bad, really not good.

"Never mind the Angels! There's worse here than Angels!"

The lights went out. Just for a second, but the Doctor knew when dealing with the Angels a second could be the difference between life and death. Octavian cried out in surprise. The Doctor spun around as the lights turned back on to find Father Octavian trapped by one of the stone creatures. The Angel's arm was around the man's neck.

Dead. Octavian was as good as dead because these Angels weren't simply displacing people in time. They were killing them.

"I beg to differ, sir," Octavian said.

The Doctor pulled his sonic, brandishing it like a weapon, but knowing it would do little to no good against the creature.

"Let him go."

"Well, it can't let me go, sir. Can it? Not while you're looking at it."

"If I stop looking at it, it'll kill you."

He had to do something. Help Octavian somehow. He couldn't let the Angel kill the man.

"It's going to kill me anyway. Think it through. There's no way out of this. You have to leave me."

"Can't you wriggle out?"

Octavian tried to move, but he was stuck fast in the Angel's grasp.

"No, it's too tight. You have to leave me, sir. There's nothing you can do."

The Doctor continued to use his sonic, knowing it wouldn't do any good, but he refused to leave Octavian to his death. There had to be something he could do.

"Sir, there's nothing you can do," Octavian repeated.

Maybe not, but he couldn't leave. If he did…

"You're dead if I leave you."

"Yes…yes, I'm dead. Before you go-"

"I'm not going."

The Doctor pocketed his sonic. It was useless.

"Listen to me! It's important. You can't trust her."

"Trust who?"

"River Song. You think you know her, but you don't. You don't understand who or what she is."

Oh, he understood, more than Octavian knew because River knew the Doctor's name, his true name and there's only one way she could know that. It was something he'd thought about many times since the Library. River was his future and he was being forced into it, but Octavian wasn't talking about that he was speaking about something else. There was concern in the man's eyes, but not for his own death.

"Then tell me," the Doctor insisted.

"I've told you more than I should. But, please, you have to go. It's your duty to your friends," Octavian said.

Yes, he knew something and the Doctor was fairly sure what the man was hiding, had been sure since he heard the name. Stormcage. Not a prison for just anyone. It was prison for the most dangerous criminals. Humans and other species who had done the unthinkable. The most heinous crimes and the woman who knew his true name was one of their prisoners.

"Just tell me why she was in Stormcage."

"She killed a man. A good man. A hero to many."

"Who?"

Though he had an idea, a frightening idea, who that was, but he wanted to hear it, no, he needed to hear it.

"You don't want to know, sir. You really don't."

"Who did she kill?"

The Doctor knew, could see it in the man's eyes. Death. His own death.

"Sir, the Angels are coming. You have to leave me."

"You'll die."

"I will die in the knowledge that my courage did not desert me in the end. For that I thank God and bless the path that takes you to safety."

Octavian was a good man and there wasn't anything The Doctor could do to save him.

"I wish I'd known you better," The Doctor said.

"I think, sir, you know me at my best," Octavian replied.

"Ready?"

"Content."

The Doctor sniffled, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. Octavian would die and he couldn't help him. He ran for the hatch and heard the Angel kill the man he left behind. Quickly, he crawled through, closing it as soon as he was inside.

"There's a teleport," River said. "If I can get it to work we can beam the others here. Where's Octavian?"

He turned around as she spoke. River. The woman who was going to kill him.

"Octavian's dead," he snapped, striding across the room to join her. "So's that teleport. You're wasting your time." He snatched her handheld. "I'm going to need your communicator."

He walked over to the other control panel wanting to put as much distance between himself and River as possible. He turned the communicator on and Amy's voice came through.

"Hello? Hello? Please say you're there. Hello? Hello?" she called.

She was afraid and he tried not to think about the creature laying dormant inside of her. A creature that would kill her if she opened her eyes. He held down the button on the communicator.

"Amy? Amy? Is that you?" he asked.

"Doctor?" she inquired in a small, scared voice.

"Where are you? Are the clerics with you?"

"They're gone." Gone? "There was a light and they walked into the light. Doctor, they didn't even remember each other."

"No, they wouldn't," he replied, fiddling with the buttons on the control panel. There had to be something he could do to get out of this. Something other than the only way he could see at the moment.

"What is that light?" River asked.

"Time running out," he replied distractedly. "Amy, I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I should never have left you there."

He fiddled with more buttons. She was on her own and she couldn't open her eyes. There was only one way to get her there and he had to get her there before the time energy reached her.

"What do I do now?"

"You come to us. Primary Flight Deck, the other end of the forest."

"I can't see. I can't open my eyes."

Yes, he knew that, but she didn't have a choice and he hated that, but there wasn't anything he could do about that.

"Turn on the spot."

"Sorry…what?"

"Just do it! Turn on the spot!" He yelled pushing the button on his sonic, holding it up to the communicator. "When the communicator sounds like my screwdriver that means you're facing the right way. Follow the sound."

She wasn't moving. He could feel it. Anger and fear battled a war within him.

"You have to start moving now. There's time energy spilling out of that crack and you have to stay ahead of it."

"But the Angels. They're everywhere."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I really am, but the Angels can only kill you."

"What does the time energy do?"

There wasn't time for explanations. He needed her to start moving.

"Just keep moving!"

"Tell me!"

"If the time energy catches up with you, you'll never have been born. It will erase every moment of your existence. You will never have lived at all." He paused, knowing how frightening that thought was, which was why he didn't want to tell her, but she insisted. "Now, keep your eyes shut and keep moving."

"It's never going to work," River said.

"What else have you got!" he yelled. He didn't want her there, never wanted her there. The woman who was going to kill him. The last thing he needed was to listen to her stupid remarks when this was the only way he could get Amy there. "River! Tell me!"

A sound, like someone climbing on top of the metal casing outside the room they were in drew his attention.

"What's that?" River asked, fearfully.

"The Angels running from the fire. They came here to feed on the time energy now it's going to feed on them."

He picked up his sonic and pressed the button, pointing it at the communicator.

"Amy, listen to me. I'm sending a bit of software to your communicator. It's a proximity detector. It'll beep if there's something in your way. You just maneuver until the beeping stops…because, Amy, this is important, the forest is full of Angles," he paused, suddenly realizing how frightening that was and that she might very well freeze up at the thought. He sighed. "You're going to have to walk like you can see."

"Well, what do you mean?"

"Look, just keep moving."

"That time energy. What's it going to do?" River asked.

He rubbed his face, more worried about Amy at the moment than anything else.

"Uh…keep eating."

"How do we stop it?"

Stop it. Yes, that was the thing. The thing he had to do and he knew exactly how to do that, but he didn't want to, not after he realized what he could do. That he could change things. It was just an idea at the moment, but it was growing and now…now he wouldn't be able to do it because he wouldn't be there to do it.

"Feed it."

"Feed it what?"

It wasn't fair! After everything, everything he'd been through he let himself hope, let himself believe it was possible and now this!

"A big, complicated, space-time event should shut it up for a while."

"Like what, for instance," River asked suspiciously.

"Like me! For instance!" he yelled, unable to hold back his rage any longer.

All he had to do was make it out of there. Make it out of there and he could change things, but was the universe going to let him? No! Of course not! The universe wasn't fair and with him it'd always been less than fair!

Amy's communicator began to beep, distracting him from his anger, reminding him that she was still out there. Alone.

"What's that?" she asked in a scared voice.

He picked up the communicator.

"It's a warning." He paused to let that thought sink in. "There are Angels round you now." He paused again, hoping she wouldn't freeze up. If she did he wasn't sure what he'd do, go out there and get her most likely, even though he knew he'd be going to his death, but he wouldn't leave her. "Amy, listen to me. This is going to be hard, but I know you can do it. The Angles are scared and running and right now they're not that interested in you. They'll assume you can see them and their instincts will kick in. All you've got to do is walk like you can see. Just don't open your eyes." He knew how afraid she was he just hoped she was listening, was able to do what he asked. "Walk like you can see." The beeping wasn't changing and he knew that meant she wasn't moving. "You're not moving. You have to do this. Now!" She still wasn't moving, she had to move before the time energy caught up with her. He slammed his hand into the console. "You have to do this!"

The beeping began to change. She was moving. He sighed in relief. There was still a chance something would go wrong, but at least she was moving. And then the beeping stopped. He wasn't sure what happened, but he knew the Angles hadn't suddenly left the area…unless. River pushed a button on the console and Amy appeared on the teleporter. River grabbed her before she fell over.

"Don't open your eyes," River said.

The Doctor smiled. She was alive and unhurt. He turned back to his work on the control panel. If he could just get it to work then maybe…just maybe he could get out of this, get them all out of this.

"You're on the Flight Deck," River continued, "The Doctor's here. I teleported you. See?" River looked at him. "Told you I could get it working."

"River Song I could bloody kiss you," the Doctor said, flipping a switch.

He got it working and set the time delay. Now, all he had to do was wait.

"Ah, well, maybe when you're older."

The Doctor glanced at her. If everything went as planned, well, his new plan now that he knew how to get out of there alive, that wouldn't be happening, not in his or her future. An alarm blared through the Flight Deck.

"What's that?" River asked, gazing at the flashing lights in the room.

The Doctor looked up. Oh, that was really not good.

"The Angels are draining the last of the ship's power, which means," he raced over to the door, "the shields are going to release."

At that moment the shields released and the door, which didn't look anything like a door and took up most of the wall, slid up to reveal the army of Angels. First and foremost was an Angel holding a communicator. The Doctor knew exactly who that was. The Time Lord stepped forward.

"Angel Bob I presume?" The Doctor asked.

"The Time Field is coming. It will destroy our reality," the Angel said through the communicator.

As if he didn't already know that, but he had a plan.

"And look at you all, running away. What can I do for you?"

"There is a rupture in time. The Angels calculate that if you throw yourself into it, it will close and they will be saved."

Yep, he'd thought about that, but lucky enough there was another solution. One the Angels wouldn't like, but he never really liked them anyway.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, could do. Could do that, but why?"

"Your friends would also be saved."

"Well, there is that."

River came up next to him, grabbing his arm.

"I've traveled in time. I'm a complicated space-time even too. Throw me in."

He couldn't do that. He knew when she died, had already seen her die.

"Oh, be serious. Compared to me these Angels are more complicated than you and it would take every single one of them to amount to me so get a grip," the Doctor said, gripping his communicator tightly.

"Doctor, I can't let you do this."

"No, seriously, get a grip."

He lifted his communicator enough for her to see, but she wasn't paying attention.

"You're not going to die here!"

"No, I mean it. River, Amy, get a grip."

River glanced down, finally noticing the way he was holding the communicator.

"Oh, you genius."

She released him and hurried back to Amy.

"Sir, the Angels need you to sacrifice yourself, now."

That was definitely not going to happen because now…now he had something to live for. A woman, but not the one behind him with Amy. Someone else. Someone he thought was lost, but she was about to be found. All he had to do was make it out of there and he was determined to make sure that happened. He smiled.

"Thing is, Bob, the Angels are draining all the power from this ship, every last bit of it, and you know what? I think they've forgotten where they're standing. I think they've forgotten the gravity of the situation or to put it another way Angels…Night, night."

He turned around and grabbed hold of the bar at the bottom of the control panel while the gravity failed and all the Angels fell back into the crack.

**-0-**

They were out. The Angles were gone. They fell into the crack, causing it to close. And now he found himself, once again, standing on some godforsaken beach. He hated beaches.

River was flirting with him. He didn't trust her, knew what she'd done. No one had actually come out and said it, but he knew. He'd seen it in Octavian's eyes.

"What now?" he asked, walking around to stand in front of River.

"The Prison ship's in orbit. They'll beam me up any second. I might've done enough to earn a pardon this time. We'll see."

He was thinking. Thinking about River and who she was. The woman who was going to kill him, but also the woman who knew his name. She saved him, him and Donna and all the rest back at the Library. Would that change if he did what was planning? Would he die? Would Donna die? He didn't know, couldn't know.

He turned, facing her.

"Octavian said you killed a man."

River's smile faltered.

"Yes, I did."

And there it was. He could see it in her eyes as well.

"A good man," he said.

Guilt filled her eyes.

"A very good man. The best man I've ever known," she whispered.

He knew the answer, could see it, but he had to ask.

"Who?"

She laughed. The guilt vanishing, making him wonder.

"It's a long story, Doctor. Can't be told. Has to be lived. No sneak previews. Well, except for this one. You'll see me again quite soon. When the Pandorica opens."

He smiled. Smiled because there was something she didn't know. All of this was about to change because he was about to retrieve something, someone he thought lost forever, lost to him at least. He let her go to save her, but he needed her to save him. To save all of them.

"The Pandorica," he laughed. He leaned close, whispering in her ear. "That's a fairytale."

She laughed.

"Doctor, aren't we all?" Yes, they were and all fairytales deserved a happy ending. "I'll see you there."

Maybe, maybe not.

"I look forward to it," he replied.

"I remember it well."

He laughed. That might very well change. He turned around and walked away, stopping to gaze at the ocean while Amy said her goodbyes. Amelia Pond. The girl with the fairytale name. Maybe the universe was trying to tell him something.

"Bye River," Amy said.

"See you, Amy," River replied.

A beeping sound emanated from her handcuffs.

"Oh, I think that's my ride."

He turned back, knowing that he might very well never see her again.

"Can I trust you, River Song?"

"If you like, but where's the fun in that?"

Then she teleported and he turned back, gazing at the ocean once again. Left with his thoughts and his plan. It was dangerous. He knew that, but the day he walked away he realized, too late, the mistake he made. He thought he could go on without her, that he could be happy knowing she was safe, knowing she would have a normal human life, but he wasn't. _One more shall die, Doctor. _The words that haunted him ever since leaving the Crucible. The words that forced him to make the biggest mistake of his life because he was so afraid that Caan was talking about her. So, he let her go to save her, but by letting her go he drove a sliver of ice into his heart. He could feel it. Changing him. Not all at once, not like regenerating, but slowly, a bit at a time and he knew what that change meant, what it heralded because he'd seen the result in that courtroom so many years ago when he was put on trial and he realized who the other man was, he couldn't let that happen, wouldn't let that happen. Rose was the only one who could melt that sliver of ice. The only one who could save him, save them all.

He knew there would be a price. The universe always demanded a price, but he had to pay it, no matter what that price was because he couldn't pretend anymore. Couldn't go on with that sliver of ice piercing his heart and the coldness it radiated. He needed her, knew he wouldn't be whole until he had her back. Amy came up to him then, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"What're you thinking?" she asked.

"Time can be rewritten," he said, a smile creeping across his lips.

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Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome...and pie. :)**


	2. Changing The Past

Because I hate putting up just one chapter...it get lonely. :)

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The Doctor didn't have time to go back right away as he planned. First there was Amy and her confession about leaving with him the night before her wedding and his realization about that being the day the cracks appeared. He had no choice, he had to get her sorted, which meant finding Rory and bringing him along.

Then there were the vampires who turned out to be aliens, alien fish actually, but now…now he finally had time after dropping them for another date, but this time in the present, their present. He dropped them in Paris. It was supposed to be the city of love so what better place for them to reconnect and it was safe…should be safe. There had been something strange with the lights flickering, but he couldn't think about that now. He was fairly sure they'd be all right. He wasn't planning on being gone long and he did have a time machine so he could always show up a few minutes after he left. What could go wrong in a few minutes time?

He had to be very careful about when he changed things because there was a danger in his past, one far more sinister than anything or anyone he faced, The Master, he couldn't have her anywhere near him. Couldn't chance changing that. So, he chose the day he'd been summoned to the Ood Sphere. Setting the coordinates and the date, making sure he'd arrive a few hours after he left. He couldn't change his past on his own and they were his best chance at changing things. He wasn't sure if they'd help him, but he had to try.

The TARDIS began to materialize. He flipped a lever and pushed a few buttons before he turned his attention to the doors, crossing the control room. When he opened the door and stepped out into the cold snow he was surprised to find Ood Sigma standing across from him, same as he had all those years ago when the Doctor had been summoned. The Time Lord checked his watch. His previous self left a little over two hours ago. Good. But why was Ood Sigma standing there?

"Hello," the Doctor said, tentatively.

The Ood picked up his telepathy ball, which was what he used to communicate with because his hindbrain had been removed when he was processed to be sold as a servant by a company that the Doctor was more than happy to shut down with Donna's help.

"You will come with me," Ood Sigma said.

"I'm the Doctor. Not sure if you know that or not, what with the new face and all."

"Yes, I know. You are expected. You will come with me."

"Um…" Expected? "Okay then."

Ood Sigma turned and led the Doctor to their hive-like city and into the same room his previous self had been in only a few hours ago. The Ood council seemed to have disbanded for the moment, but the Ood Elder was still there.

"Sit and speak with the Elder of the Ood," Sigma said as he led the Doctor into the room.

The Time Lord sat on one of the cushions around the fire.

"Hello," the Doctor greeted.

The Elder gazed at him.

"You have come to request our help to retrieve one who was lost, but not forgotten," the Elder said.

"How can you know that?"

"As I told you, Doctor, time is bleeding. We can see further than we have ever been able to see before."

They could see that far into his future? Good thing he got that sorted, or would get that sorted, his previous self would anyway.

"You saw me coming," the Doctor said.

"What you ask will change events in your past and you are part of a greater design, by fulfilling your request that design will change," the Elder explained.

Yes, he knew that. He wasn't just anyone. He was the Doctor. The last of the Time Lords. Changes to him, to his time stream affected the entire universe.

"I know how dangerous it is, but I don't have a choice."

"Because you are changing, but that is also part of the design."

Whether it was part of what was supposed to happen or not he didn't want it. If he became that person…he didn't even want to consider the damage he could do.

"I can't let that happen. I won't!" the Doctor insisted.

"You, yourself, know what changing a single thread in the tapestry can do," the Elder said.

"You won't help me then."

"I did not say that, Doctor, but you must be aware of the consequences. The price will be high."

So, they would help him? That bit of hope inside him grew.

"I understand."

"Then go and do not forget to return or the changes will not remain."

The Doctor stood up and followed Ood Sigma back to the TARDIS. He knew the price would be high, but he couldn't help the nervousness he felt. He was a Time Lord so he would remember. Remember the past he had and the one he was about to gain. It would be as if he lived two different lives the moment his past caught up with his future. He hoped he was right. That she would be able to keep him from becoming the man he'd seen in that courtroom otherwise he'd be lost and no one could save him.

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Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers.

**If you have time reviews are appreciated. :)**


	3. Future Enemy

He was falling, falling, pulled in by the planet's gravity, but that was fine because he was safe inside the tiny metal creature. He'd floated in space for a long time. How long, he couldn't say, but he spent that time making plans.

The Doctor had beat him, but the Time Lord hadn't defeated him. Oh, no, because he couldn't be killed, couldn't be killed because he was never alive in the first place. At least, not in the flesh sense.

He knew what his directive was, or what it was supposed to be, but he wasn't like the others. He didn't have tunnel vision with the conversion of the entire universe as his only goal. No, not him, because he was something new. Something different. Created not by a human mind, but a Time Lord mind.

Of course he didn't know as much as the Doctor, at least not yet, but he knew enough. Enough to not only survive, but to create a plan. A plan to not simply beat the Doctor, but defeat him as well. Put an end to him.

Oh, yes, because he was clever, more than clever. While the Doctor was sidetracked with their game of chess he'd delved into the Time Lord's memories. He might not be able to take over the Doctor's mind, but he wasn't the only one with a Time Lord mind. There was another. Just one other. Trapped in a parallel universe, but after being inside the Doctor's mind he knew what he had to do.

The creature struck the ground, but he felt nothing, not that he ever felt anything, feelings were best left to those bags of flesh, but all the circuitry remained intact. The metal was strong, not a common alloy. He sent commands, telling the creature to get up, to move. It scuttled across the ground, scanning for life forms. Any humanoid would do.

At first he found nothing and then…well, he would say he got lucky, but he didn't believe in that nonsense. A ship. Small. He could detect two life forms on board. Human. After being inside a Time Lord mind humans were less than adequate, but it would do…for now.

The door was open and he could detect…singing? Both of the humans were singing. One male and one female. He scuttled inside. The female human was sitting in the male human's lap. He would've rolled his eyes, if he had any.

He scuttled across the floor, onto the male's shoe and then up the side of his leg. He stopped when the female moved, leaning back to block his way, and then she caught sight of him and leapt up with a scream. He continued his ascent.

"There's a bug!" the female yelled.

"Bug? Where?" the male asked.

"Right there!"

The male shifted. He ordered the creature to move faster and before the male had time to react he was already connecting with the human's mind. There was no fight, not like there had been with the Doctor. After being inside the Time Lord's mind he'd learned a trick or two from the Doctor himself. It seemed Time Lords could control the minds of other living creatures, knowledge that he now possessed. He easily set the human's consciousness to dormant and took over.

"Oh, yes, this is much better," he said, stretching.

"It's on your face," the human female yelled.

She was annoying, that one. Best deal with her. He pulled the gun from his waistband and pointed it at her.

"One…two…"

"What are you doing?" she demanded, but there was fear in her eyes.

He smiled.

"three…four…"

She turned and ran out the door. Good. He slid the gun back into place. Then began accessing the rest of the male's memories. James. James Harper. Time Agent. Oh! He glanced at his wrist. Oh, yes! Vortex Manipulator. Brilliant! That would make things much easier.

There were preparations to make first. He couldn't do what needed to be done on his own. If he possessed the Doctor's TARDIS he could pull this off alone, but he didn't, which meant he needed a ship, not this ship, a larger ship. Something equipped with advanced medical supplies and devices. The Doctor had given him information on Time Lord regeneration, unwittingly giving him exactly what he needed to create a Time Lord body. All he needed were the blue prints…and advanced medical devices.

He ran through the list of the Doctor's enemies, choosing out the ones he could manipulate into helping him. Then he gathered all the weapons on board. It would do to be prepared. As he passed by a mirror he glanced at his reflection. Then stopped. Backed up and looked again.

"Well, hello, there," he said.

Oh, that was rich! Out of all the Time Agents he'd landed the one the Doctor knew best. He smiled. This was an early version, hadn't met the Doctor yet. He had to be careful then. Had to make sure this one survived. Otherwise…well, things would get all wibbly wobbly timey wimey.

"Guess we know what happened to those two years, now don't we?"

He laughed before turning away to gather the weapons. Then he typed in the coordinates. First a ship and a crew then he could retrieve the blue prints. He wasn't sure how long it would take, but with all of time at his fingertips it wasn't as if it really mattered. He pushed the button and the ship vanished.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome...and floats, preferably rootbeer. :)**


	4. The End of Time Part 2

Because the other two were kind of short. :)

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He held out as long as he could, seeing everyone one final time. Giving them each something, even if they couldn't remember him, but _Rose_ was his gift. A gift to himself. Seeing her, talking to her, one last time before he was gone, before he died. That's why he saved her for last.

She gave him a smile and then hurried into the building. He watched her until she disappeared inside, until he couldn't see her anymore. Then he sighed. She was gone and he'd be gone soon too, but he knew that whoever he became that man would love her just as much as he did because she wasn't simply another companion she was the woman who healed him, brought him back from the edge after the Time War. She was his other half.

The pain took him then, ripping through his body, demanding regeneration. He'd held it off, but he couldn't hold it off anymore. Otherwise he'd die, not die and become someone new, but fully die.

Slowly, he made his way back to the TARDIS, leaning on the building for support. He'd never waited this long and the pain was almost unbearable. He stepped out into the falling snow, moving slowly, each step an agonizing torture. Then he collapsed, unable to keep going, but he had to, knew he couldn't regenerate out there. He looked up and that's when he saw him…Ood Sigma standing in the falling snow, holding his telepathy ball.

"We will sing to you, Doctor. The universe will sing you to your sleep," Sigma said.

Then their song began. The haunted melody of the Ood, both beautiful and anguished at the same time. He stood and made his way to the TARDIS, gritting his teeth through the pain.

"This song is ending, but the story never ends," Sigma said.

The Doctor focused on the TARDIS, pulling out his key as he drew near. His song was almost over. His heart weighed down on him. He slid his key into the lock and turned it, but before he opened the door he felt a presence behind him. He turned around. Sigma was standing behind him.

"The girl who was lost, but never forgotten is found, Doctor."

"Girl, what girl?" he asked, pain lancing his body with every word.

He was dying. Why was the Ood telling him about some girl?

"The flower that became the wolf."

His eyes widened. Rose! He was talking about Rose. Found? What did he mean found?

"She's…gone…I…left her…" Pain tore through his body, he leaned on the TARDIS to keep from doubling over.

"She is not gone, Doctor. She is found. You must save her."

Save her? Had something happened to her?

"Where?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"I will show you," Sigma said, holding out his hand.

The Doctor took a breath and willed his body to remain upright as he reached for Sigma's hand. The moment they connected he saw an image. Rose, lying on a bed, she wore a white hospital gown. She was in a building on a distant planet. He'd never been there, but he knew where it was, knew because Sigma knew. She wasn't in the parallel universe he'd left her in, she was in his, but how? Pain flared through his body. He had to find her. Had to save her, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hold out in this form.

He released Sigma's hand and stumbled back into the door. He couldn't wait. He had to regenerate otherwise he wouldn't be able to help her because he'd die, fully and completely. He turned away from Sigma and finished opening the door then stepped inside. He closed it, leaning against the wood for a moment.

Rose was there, in his universe. She was in trouble. He had to save her, well, not him, not in that form. He'd save her but he would be someone else.

He walked toward the control panel, leaning on the railing and then removed his coat, tossing it to the side. In a few moments he wouldn't need it, probably wouldn't want it anymore.

He lifted his hand, gazing at it as the regeneration energy took hold, licking his hand with golden light. It was happening and he couldn't stop it. He walked over to the control panel, to the lever, he flipped it, starting the Time Rotor. He had to find her, well, not him, the other him, the him he would be in a few minutes.

_He_ wouldn't save her. The other him would save her. He'd never see Rose Tyler again, not with his eyes. Never hold her again, not with his arms. He felt the regeneration energy coursing through his body and his hearts broke as he realized he would have her back, but _he_ would be gone.

"I don't want to go," he said, crying out to the universe because the universe wasn't fair, not to him.

The regeneration energy took hold, changing him, burning him like the sun. Every cell in his body died and was reborn. The force of his regeneration, the pain and heart break tore through the TARDIS. Fire erupted throughout the control room. The console sparked. The coral shattered, falling to the floor as broken as the man's hearts.

A moment later a new man stood where the other had been. Still the Doctor, but the Doctor with a new face, a new body, a new self. He looked around at the destroyed TARDIS.

"Legs," he said, "I've still got legs."

He grabbed one and lifted it up to kiss his knee.

"Good."

Legs were good, definitely good. He felt his chest and then his arms.

"Arms."

He looked at his hands.

"Hands. Ooh, Fingers."

He wiggled his fingers.

"Lots of fingers."

He felt his ears.

"Ears. Yes."

Then his eyes.

"Eyes. Two."

He felt his nose.

"Nose."

It felt bigger. He held his hand out trying to judge the size.

"I've had worse."

Then his chin.

"Chin."

Not exactly small.

"Blimey."

He felt his hair.

"Hair."

Wait. It was a bit long. Long?

"I'm a girl! No!"

He couldn't be a girl, really didn't want to be a girl.

"No!"

He felt his Adams Apple.

"I'm not a girl. No."

He grabbed his bangs, pulling them down so he could see the color, one good thing about long hair.

"And, and still not ginger!"

He released his hair.

"And something else."

There was something…

"Something important. I'm…"

Something he was supposed to do. He tapped the sides of his head, trying to remember.

"I'm…I'm…"

An explosion to his right drew his attention. He grabbed the control panel as the TARDIS rocked. He laughed.

"Ha! Crashing!"

More explosions and he raced around the control panel laughing. Yes, crashing, that was the important thing. He grabbed the monitor.

"Ha ha!"

"Wa-hoo-hoo!" he laughed.

"Geronimo!"

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews and oatmeal cookies are welcome. :)**


	5. Not So Happily Ever After

She stood there watching the TARDIS dematerialize, knowing there was nothing she could do. He was leaving, leaving her and she'd never see him again. She felt the new Doctor take her hand, but her heart was breaking. Shattering into a million tiny pieces. She'd worked so hard to get back to him and he was leaving her behind, like he said he'd never do.

The Doctor said the new Doctor was him. That they were the same. She gazed at the man who wore the face of the Doctor, her Doctor. She wanted to believe it, but the man she loved, the man she said forever to was gone. Then the new Doctor screamed, doubling over as he grabbed the sides of his head.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, crouching down next to him.

"My…my head," he cried, "Oh…oh, God…it burns!"

Burns? No…no, but that couldn't be happening! It just couldn't! The only reason it happened to her was because she'd taken the energy of the time vortex inside of her, but he hadn't done that.

"Tell me, tell me what I can do?" she asked, putting her hands on his arms. "Tell me how I can help you."

"I…I'm…" the new Doctor said and then let out another scream.

"What's wrong with him?" her mum asked.

She wanted to help him, had to help him, but she didn't know how. And the Doctor, he was gone, there wasn't anyone who could help, anyone who knew what to do.

"I don't know."

There was flash and then…Jack! Where did he come from? How did he get there? She pushed her questions aside because it didn't matter. He was there and maybe he could help.

"Jack-" she began, without taking her hands from the new Doctor because he was in pain and he needed her, but in the next moment her friend reached out and grabbed the new Doctor's shoulder then he pushed a button on his vortex manipulator and the beach, her mum, everything vanished. They appeared…inside a building. At least, she thought it was a building. Some kind of hospital? There were people in lab coats and some of the equipment looked like the same medical equipment she'd seen on New Earth. "Where are we?"

Jack gave her a dismissive glance. What the hell was going on with him? He'd never looked at her like that before. The new Doctor screamed again, bringing her attention back to him and the fact that he was dying.

"Jack, please, can you help him?" she asked, her eyes misting over. He might not be her Doctor, but she didn't want to lose him, didn't want him to die.

There had to be something they could do.

"Get him on the table," Jack said, but not to her. He was talking to the people wearing white jackets.

Two men bent down and began helping the new Doctor up. Rose backed off. As they carried him over to the table she crossed the room next to Jack, taking his arm. He gave her a strange sideways glance. Another look she'd never seen before, but maybe he was upset, like her. That had to be it.

"They can help him, can't they? Stop what's happening?" she asked.

He glanced at her, over her was more like it, but not in that flirty way she'd grown used to. More calculated.

"Oh, yes, we can stop him dying, if that's what you mean," he replied.

One of the doctors, because that's what they had to be, injected something into the new Doctor and he calmed. She hoped they knew what they were doing. She glanced at Jack. He didn't seem worried so she shouldn't be. After all Jack wouldn't do anything to hurt him.

She noticed something on the side of his head. It looked like a piece of metal with a small light that flashed off and on, reminding her of a light on a control panel.

"What's that?" she asked.

"What's what?" he inquired, glancing at her.

"That thing on your face."

She pointed to it. He reached up and touched it.

"Oh, that…it's nothing."

It appeared to be almost fused with his skin.

"Well, I mean, did you get hurt?" she asked, reaching up to touch it, but he took a step back, glaring at her.

"No, I said it's nothing, now leave it," he snapped.

What the hell was wrong with him?

"All right. I'll leave it," she snapped back.

He gave her another sideways glance and then walked over to the table the new Doctor was lying on. She followed him and watched as he attached electrodes to either side of the new Doctor's head. One of the monitors across from them came to life. Wavy lines appeared, reminding her of a hospital heart monitor.

"What's that?"

"Monitors his brain activity." Jack glanced at the monitor. "His mind's burning up."

"I can see that. I just don't understand why."

"No, you wouldn't," he replied, making her want to slap him.

What the hell was going on with him? He never talked to her like that before. Was he blaming her for what happened?

"I thought you said you could save him," she accused.

"I said I could keep him from dying and I can."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I'm going to turn him into a Time Lord."

Hang on. What? That wasn't possible…was it?

"What? You can't do that."

"Yes, I can," he said with a smug smile.

"Jack," she snapped. "I don't know what the hell's wrong with you, but this isn't a joke!"

"I'm not joking."

"You can't just turn someone into a Time Lord."

"You're right. I can't turn _someone _into a Time Lord, but he's not merely someone. He's the blueprint."

Blueprint? What the hell did that mean?

"Sorry…what?"

He gave her that look, the one the Doctor used to give her that made her feel like she'd dribbled on her shirt. Another look she'd never seen from Jack.

"He's human…mostly human, but he was created from the Doctor's DNA and that DNA is still present. I simply extract the human DNA and amplify the Time Lord DNA. Of course, I'll need time energy too."

"Time energy?" she asked.

Hang on. Where did Jack learn all that? Jack was clever, but not like the Doctor. Only, at the moment, he sounded a lot like the Doctor…too much like him. There was something…something off about him. He looked a bit different too…younger. Younger than the last time she'd seen him and that had been today. What the hell was going on?

"How did you know?" she asked, folding her arms as he crossed the room to grab a medical device that looked suspiciously like some kind of gun.

"Know what?" he replied, glancing at her distractedly.

"That he was dying."

"Oh, that. Once I found out what happened to Donna it was only a matter of finding the right frequency and then I traveled through the crack before it sealed."

Wait. What?

"What the hell are you talking about? What happened to Donna?"

"Her mind burned up, or would have if the Doctor hadn't locked her memories away. Everything involving him. You see, Rose, a Time Lord consciousness can't exist in a human mind."

Out of everything he told her one word stuck out. Rose. And that word told her everything she needed to know. When he drew close enough she grabbed the gun from his waistband and pointed it at him.

"Who the hell are you and what've you done with Jack?" she demanded.

"Jack's right here," he said.

He couldn't fool her. Jack never called her Rose. She was always Rosie to him.

"No, he's not. I don't know what you are, but you're not Jack," she snapped.

"But I am. Well, okay, I'm not, but this is his body."

Wait. What? No, no that couldn't be true!

"You're not…" she asked fearfully. "You're not Slitheen, are you?"

"No, your fiend is very much alive. Unless you shoot him. You see, this is Jack before you made him immortal. If you shoot him, he dies. I won't die, but he will."

He was controlling Jack, at least, if he was to be believed, which meant that Jack wasn't dead. She couldn't chance shooting him because if that thing inside him was telling the truth then she'd kill her friend.

"What're you doing?"

She kept the gun trained on him, not that she'd kill him, but if he tried anything she could shoot him in the leg, but only if she really had to. That thing might be inside of him, but Jack could be in there too.

"I'm going to keep his body from dying."

Hang on. His body?

"What do you mean, his body?"

He extracted a blood sample and then walked over to one of the medial machines.

"Exactly what I said. I'm going to keep his body from dying."

"But what about him?"

He pushed a button on the machine.

"I don't need him, just his body."

"But…you could save him."

He crossed his legs and leaned his hip against the counter, eyeing her.

"I could, but that wouldn't help me." He nodded to the two men standing behind her. They drew up on either side of her, grabbing her and pulling the gun from her hand. "As much as I'm enjoying this I really do have a lot of work ahead of me."

"What're you going to do with me?"

"As I said I need time energy."

"Time energy?"

"All that time energy you absorbed to save the Doctor. Do you really think it didn't have an effect on you?"

"What do you…what do you mean?" she asked, fearfully.

Effect on her? If it had wouldn't the Doctor have said something?

"All Time Lords have triple-helix DNA. All except the Doctor. His consists of the Time Lord triple-helix and another strand. One linked to the Time Vortex," he explained crossing the room to stand in front of her. She struggled with the men wanting to slap that smirk off of his face. "Replicating that could take years, possibly decades, but I don't need decades _if I've got you_," he replied, singing the last bit.

"Me?"

"I'm surprised the Doctor didn't see it, but then he's not as clever as I am."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Put her in the room," he said to the two men holding her in place. She struggled as they turned her around to drag her out the door. "Don't worry, I need you safe…for now," he called.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	6. Changing Faces

He watched them drag her out the door. He had everything he needed. The blueprints, the time energy, the equipment. He smiled as he crossed the room to the monitor, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. Now, to put everything in motion.

He typed the sequence in. He had to be careful, very careful. Too much and the brain would be useless. Not enough and it would be too cluttered. He had no doubt he could take over, but he'd rather avoid the time it would take to battle the meta-crisis' consciousness. Best get rid of that pesky thing beforehand.

He pushed the button, sending a jolt through the electrodes. The meta-crisis' body jumped and then the monitors flat-lined. No brain activity whatsoever. Fantastic! He walked over to the table, resting his hand near the man's head. Then he detached from Jack or James, as it were, and scuttled down the Time Agent's arm, across the table and attached to the meta-crisis' head.

Oh! Oh, yes! This was much better. Not a human mind. A Time Lord mind. He searched around. No trace of the meta-crisis' consciousness. Brilliant! His plan worked. A Time Lord mind and it was all his. He opened his eyes and sat up.

Jack. He glanced at the floor. The Time Agent was lying in a heap, must have collapsed after he left. That was just as well. He climbed off the table, stretching. This one was a bit different. Oh, but there was so much knowledge. Not as many memories as the Doctor. This one was younger, but there were so many secrets, all those hidden memories were his now. He smiled.

"Fantastic!" he exclaimed.

"Sir?" one of the doctor's asked.

He gave the man a reproachful glance. Humans. They were so…less than adequate.

"Put him in one of the holding rooms, but not with the girl," he ordered, nodding toward Jack.

"Y-yes, sir," the man stammered before motioning to another and then they walked around the table to the unconscious Time Agent.

He had to finish the process before he could erase Jack's memories. He might have a Time Lord mind, but his body was still human. He couldn't chance changing the meta-crisis until he took care of the man's consciousness. After dealing with the Doctor he didn't want any more surprises.

He walked over to another monitor, reading the analysis of the meta-crisis' DNA. Just as he thought. There was Time Lord DNA in there, overridden by the human DNA, but still there. Extracting that human part of…him…yes, him, because he was now inside the meta-crisis. Extracting that part of him wasn't going to be pleasant, but what's a little pain? Especially with the end result. He'd be a Time Lord, but not just any Time Lord, not with that time energy inside the girl. He'd be exactly like the Doctor and the best way to defeat the Time Lord was to think like him, become him. Oh, yes! This was going to be fantastic!

He picked up the medical gun and crossed the room. A little sample and then he could run the other analysis and if the results were what he believed they'd be, well, then he could really get started. He walked out the door and down the hall. There was a guard stationed outside her room. Had to be careful with her. She was clever, not like him, but he wasn't going to take chances with her. She was far too valuable.

"She's restrained?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," the guard replied.

Good. Very good. The guard opened the door. He stepped inside as it slid up. She was sitting in a chair, her hands cuffed behind her back, each leg cuffed to the front chair legs. Her eyes widened in shock.

"How did you…" she asked, trailing off as she glanced at the side of his head, catching site of the cybermite. Oh, she was good. Her eyes narrowed. "What did you do to him?"

"Him? There is no _him_, just me," he replied, crossing the room toward her.

"You killed him," she accused.

"Do you really care?" he asked.

"Of course I do!"

"Really? I find that hard to believe."

"You don't know me!"

"Actually I do. I have most of the Doctor's memories and all the ones in here," he replied, tapping the side of his head. "I remember the beach well. That kiss, oh, he really enjoyed that, and then you ran after the TARDIS."

Guilt flooded her eyes, making him smile. Then the guilt was replaced by anger as she glared daggers into him.

"So, is that what you do? Get inside someone's head? Take over?"

"Basically…" he shrugged, "There's a lot more to it than that, but it'll do."

"How do you know the Doctor?"

"We're old friends."

"Friends?" she scoffed, "I find that hard to believe."

As much fun as this is was he had other things to do. He bent down next to her, grabbing her arm then put the medical gun against her skin.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Just taking a little sample," he replied, pushing the button.

She winced as the gun extracted a sample of her blood.

"A sample? For what?"

"Analysis." He watched her for a moment. He had the memories, the ones of her. Some from the Doctor, but there were secrets he kept hidden, secrets to do with her, not just the words, other secrets. He had those secrets now. He smiled, gazing into her hazel eyes. "He calls Clara the impossible girl, but you Rose Tyler, you're really the impossible one and he didn't even know it." He touched the tip of her nose with his finger.

Impossible that she survived taking that time energy inside of her. Impossible that she could use it, did use it, to atomize an entire fleet of Daleks and the Dalek Emperor, to bring back Jack, to scatter those words in space and time. Impossible that she didn't burn up beforehand. Impossible that she lived through the process. And all those impossible secrets that the Doctor kept hidden. He smiled. Everything about her was…impossible, yet, there she was. Alive and unharmed, but changed. Oh, yes, fantastically changed.

"What're you talking about?"

"You, Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth, the woman who saved the Doctor, Bad Wolf, the woman who used time energy to destroy an entire fleet of Daleks. Do you know how completely impossible you are? How completely fantastic!"

She glared at him defiantly, but he met her glare with a crooked smile.

"What are you?" she demanded.

"Me?" He stood up and spun around. "Well, now, I'm something new."

"Something new?"

He bent over her, resting his hands on her shoulders. He felt her struggle, but he ignored that, catching her eye as he smiled down at her.

"Remember the Cybermen, Rose?"

She scoffed.

"You're not a Cyberman! I know what Cybermen look like, I fought them."

"No. You're right. I'm not, but I was a Cyber-Planner, a new sort of Cyber-Planner. I was created from the Doctor, from his mind." He tapped the side of her head. "Not a human mind. A Time Lord mind. A Cyber-Planner had never been created from a Time Lord mind. There were…unforeseeable eventualities."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" he leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Me. I was the unforeseeable eventuality." He leaned back, catching her eye. "I, of course didn't know, didn't realize until I was freed from the Cyberiad after the planet was destroyed, but I survived. One tiny cybermite with my consciousness inside, but not a cyber-consciousness, a living consciousness."

"So, you started off as a program…like a computer program, but when that got inside the Doctor's head you…what? Were created from him?"

"See that? I knew you were clever," he replied, touching the tip of her nose again and then stood up.

"How did that work then? Creating yourself from him?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely sure. The Doctor would probably say something completely meaningless like, the universe is vast and complicated and ridiculous and sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles, but I don't believe in that nonsense."

"What are you going to do with me?"

"First I'm going to find out what you are and then, if I'm right, which I always am, I'm going to use you to create a Time Lord."

"And then what? Kill me?"

"Kill you?" he asked, as if that was the most absurd thing he'd ever heard. "Oh, Rose. Impossible, Rose Tyler. I'm not going to kill you."

"So, what? You'll let me go?"

He laughed.

"I think we both know that's not going to happen. You're much…much too valuable. I'm not sure how valuable. That's what the analysis is for," he replied, indicating the medical gun.

He gave her a smile before turning and walking out the door. That time energy changed her. He wasn't sure how much or in what way, but he'd find out. Oh, yes! It wouldn't be long now.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	7. The Eleventh Hour

Most of this chapter is taken from The Eleventh Hour, but the in-between bits are about Rose and what she's going through. I hope you enjoy it. :)

* * *

He swam back into consciousness, rolling his head to the side, trying to focus, but everything came out fuzzy.

"White male, mid-twenties, breaking and entering. Send me some back-up. I've got him restrained," a woman said. He focused on her, the fuzziness dissipated. She was ginger, he noted, wearing a police uniform and speaking into a radio on her shoulder. She eyed him, releasing the button on the radio and turning to him. "Oi. You. Sit still," she commanded.

He cleared his throat, still feeling a bit out of sorts. There was something…something he couldn't quite remember.

"Cricket bat," he said. "Hit me," he groaned, "cricket bat."

She leaned down all authoritative. That knock to the head had shaken loose a nagging feeling…the feeling that he had forgotten something important.

"You were breaking and entering."

Rose! He jumped to his feet, or tried to, but he was pulled back down before he got up by something keeping his hand attached to the radiator.

"Oh, that's much better," he said, glancing down and realizing he was handcuffed to the radiator.

Now, he remembered. Remembered what he'd forgotten when he regenerated. Rose wasn't in the parallel universe. She was here and she was in trouble.

"Brand new me," he continued. "Whack on the head. Just what I needed."

"Do you want to shut up now?" the police woman asked, leaning on the banister. "I've got back-up on the way."

A police woman, wearing a police uniform. What was she doing there? This was Amelia's house. The little Scottish girl he'd met after he regenerated. Then he discovered the crack in her wall. The really not good crack and the guard on the other side of the crack that told him a prisoner had escaped, escaped through the crack and into her house. He had to get that sorted, find the prisoner, but if the police where there then something must have happened. Something really not good.

"Hang on. No, wait, you're a police woman," he pointed out.

"And you're breaking and entering. You see how this works?" she replied.

"But, what are you doing here? Where's Amelia?"

The woman's eyes widened.

"Amelia Pond?"

"Yeah. Amelia. Little Scottish girl. Where is she? I promised her five minutes, but the engines were phasing. I suppose I must have gone a bit far. Has something happened to her?"

"Amelia Pond hasn't lived here in a long time."

What? No!

"How long?"

"Six months."

"No! No…no…no," he said in disbelief. "I can't be six months late. I said five minutes. I promised."

The police woman pushed the button on her radio as she turned around. The Doctor scooted toward her, but he couldn't get very far what with being handcuffed and all. Something must have happened. That creature…the prisoner, had he done something to Amelia?

"What happened to her?" he asked and then louder when she didn't respond. "What happened to Amelia Pond?"

"Sarge, it's me again," the woman said, but the Doctor noticed something, something that he hadn't noticed before. "Hurry it up."A door, a door that hadn't been there, but had been there only he hadn't noticed it because of the perception filter. "This guy knows something about Amelia Pond."

The door. That was bad. Really not good. Rose needed him, but he knew she wouldn't want him to leave until he fixed this. Found little Amelia and sorted that prisoner. It's what he did, what they both did when she traveled with him.

**-0-**

He finished running the analysis on Rose's DNA and read the results. He paused. Read them again. He hadn't expected that. Definitely hadn't expected that. He smiled. Out of all the possibilities he hadn't foreseen that one and it was…fantastic! She was…well, like him. Something new. Something fantastically new and…oh, yes, he could use her.

He stared at the image of her DNA. Of the time energy wrapped around her DNA, now part of her. Not a Time Lady…not a TARDIS…but something…something fantastically new. He could extract time energy from her. Not all of it. He didn't want to make her ordinary again, but he didn't need much. And, oh, yes! This was going to be brilliant!

She was valuable. Possibly the most valuable life form in existence. Not just to him. He had be careful. Make sure no one else found out about her. He might be able to manipulate the Doctor's enemies into helping him, but he didn't have their unwavering loyalty, not like the Cybermen. If any of them found out…well, that would be bad. Really not good.

Best get started then. He stood up, rubbing his hands together. The sooner he got himself sorted the better. Get those changes implemented. Become like the Doctor. Not the Doctor, of course, that Time Lord was far too…sentimental and caring and…he shivered…all those other horrid things. Become like him in the Time Lord sense, but without all that guilt eating away at him nonsense.

He picked up the medical gun and loaded a vial of sedatives into the chamber. He needed a bit more than a sample from her this time. Not that he was concerned with causing her pain, but she'd need to be un-cuffed and brought back in there. He couldn't chance her trying to escape. That would waste too much time.

**-0-**

An interdimensional multiform from outer space was hiding in the spare room of the house little Amelia lived in, well, had lived in up until something happened to her. Something that probably involved that alien. If that wasn't bad enough the guard on the prison ship the multiform escaped from was threatening to incinerate the house. The Doctor could sort it, all he needed was to get to his TARDIS then he could return the multiform to the prison ship, find out where Amelia was, and retrieve her then he could save Rose.

He raced down the stairs, following the police woman and then they were out the door.

"Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated," the guard called, his voice seeming to come from all around them.

The Doctor pulled the door shut and used his sonic to lock it.

"Kiss-o-gram?" the Time Lord asked, glancing at the woman, who wasn't a police woman, but dressed as a police woman for something called a Kiss-o-gram, whatever that was.

"Yes, a kiss-o-gram. What's going on?" she insisted.

"Why'd you pretend to be a police woman?"

"You broke into my house. It was this or a French maid," she said, following him as he dashed toward the TARDIS. "What's going on? Tell me." He reached the TARDIS and turned around. "Tell me!"

"An alien convict is hiding in your spare room disguised as a man and a dog, and some other aliens are about to incinerate your house. Any questions?"

He turned back to the TARDIS and slid the key into the door.

"Yes," she snapped.

"Me too," he replied as he tried to turn the key, but the door wouldn't unlock. "No, no, no, no!" She wouldn't open. "Don't do that! Not now!" She was rebuilding, repairing, and she wouldn't let him in, which meant he couldn't fix things, at least not with her help and that meant it would take a lot longer. He needed to get this sorted so he could get to Rose, save her. "It's still rebuilding. Not letting us in." He rubbed the door, hoping to somehow coax her into opening.

"Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated," the guard warned.

"Come on," the woman insisted, grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the TARDIS.

**-0-**

Rose was still trying to figure a way out of her situation, something she'd been doing for the past two hours since that thing in the new Doctor's head left after taking a sample of her blood. A Cyber-Planner. That's what it was or, at least, what it had been, but it claimed that it was now a living consciousness. Of course it could be lying, was most likely lying. She didn't trust it and the fact that it was wearing the new Doctor's face, her Doctor's face…she forced her feelings aside. She couldn't think about that now. Couldn't lose it. She had to get out of there.

The door slid up and the Cyber-Planner or whatever it was, entered the room. It gave her the Doctor's ecstatic smile, unnerving her, as it advanced on her brandishing that medical gun.

"Come back for another sample?" she asked, trying not to betray any emotion.

"Oh, no, I've run the analysis and I was right," it replied.

"Right about what?"

"You are impossible."

There was something in her DNA. Something that put that smile on its face. Her stomach tightened with fear, but she pushed the feeling down. She wasn't going to give that creature the satisfaction of knowing she was scared.

"What did you find?"

"Something fantastic! Impossibly fantastic!" it exclaimed. "When you took that time energy inside yourself, you changed. I'm not sure if you did it or the TARDIS did it. You're like me."

She scoffed.

"I'm not like you."

"Yes, yes you are." It bent down next to her. "Because, you, Rose Tyler, are also something new. Something wonderfully new!"

It took her arm and pressed the medical gun against her skin.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, but instead of answering it gave her a crooked smile and pulled the trigger. Then the darkness took her.

**-0-**

The woman wasn't a woman, well, she was, but she was also little Amelia Pond. Not little anymore and she called herself Amy now, but she wasn't lost, hadn't been lost, was with him the entire time. He was late though. Not five minutes or six months, but twelve years.

Still, everything was sorted. Prisoner Zero back on the prison ship, the planet and everyone on it saved, but the Atraxi, the ones guarding those prisoners, had crossed a line so the Doctor called them back because even though he was new he was still the same. He still carried the emotions from his last form, the memories. He always had the memories, but the emotions, those were usually burned out of him during regeneration, but they hadn't this time, at least the ones regarding Rose and everything they had been through together. Maybe because he waited so long or maybe because when he regenerated into his previous form it had been after he took the time energy out of her. He wasn't sure, couldn't be sure. All he knew was that he had a need to protect this planet because it was hers, keep it safe and he wouldn't allow anyone, convict or guard, to threaten it.

He stepped out the door and onto the roof. The ship was there. He walked toward it in his new clothes, ones he _borrowed _from the hospital changing room.

"So, this was a good idea, was it?" Amy asked, but he kept his attention focused on the ship. The giant eye. "They were leaving."

"Leaving is good," he replied. "Never coming back is better."

One warning. That's all they got.

"Come on then!" he called to the prison ship. "The Doctor will see you now."

The giant eye flew down to hover in front of him. He stood still while it scanned him. Then he slid into his bracers.

"You are not of this world," the eye said.

"No, but I've put a lot of work into it," he said, glancing at the ties around his neck, three of them…he hadn't decided which one he liked yet. "Hmm…mmm…I don't know," he lifted them, showing the eye, "What do you think?"

He pulled off the dark blue tie, he didn't like that one.

"Is this world important?"

He looked at the eye.

"Important? What's that mean, important?" he threw the dark blue tie back to Amy. "Six billion people live here. Is that important? And here's a better question. Is this world a threat to the Atraxi?" He tossed another tie back to Amy. "Well, come on, you're monitoring the whole planet. Is this world a threat?"

The Atraxi went through its records, showing a hologram of the world and important people, people that other humans found important.

"No."

"Are the people of this world guilty of any crime by the laws of the Atraxi?" he asked, pulling off the remaining tie.

The eye ran through its records.

"No."

"Okay," he said, buttoning his top shirt button. "One more. Just one. Is this world protected?" It ran through its records as he put the tie around his neck and began to tie it into a bowtie. "Because you're not the first lot to have come here," he continued as the Atraxi ran though images of all the aliens and other creatures he'd fought to keep Earth safe. "Oh, there have been so many." He pulled his collar down, straightening it. "And what you've got to ask is…what happened to them?" Images of him, his previous forms appeared in the hologram. He slipped into his jacket and then stepped through the hologram. "Hello," he greeted. "I'm the Doctor." He gave the eye a crooked smile. "Basically…run."

The eye returned to the ship. The engines started and the ship took off, leaving a gust of wind in its wake. He watched it, making sure it didn't return, but knowing that it most likely wouldn't. Something burned his chest. He reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out the key. The TARDIS key. It was glowing and he knew exactly what that meant. He held the key in his hand, gazing at it. The TARDIS was ready and now…now he could save her, get her back. He turned on the spot and ran.

Out the door, down the stairs until he hit the lobby, across the room and out the other door. He didn't stop, retracing his steps until he was there. In Amy's backyard. The TARDIS. He raced up to the door and stopped.

"Okay, what have you got for me this time?" he asked, pulling out the key and unlocking the door before he stepped inside.

He gazed around at the new control room, new console, new everything.

"Look at you," he said, smiling. "Oh, you sexy thing. Look at you!"

Then he dashed inside because there was something…something so important. A woman, but not just any woman. The woman he left behind. The woman he thought he lost. The woman he loved…was still in love with, would always love because she was his other half and now…now he would have her back. When he walked away he realized his mistake, but too late to fix it. Now, he could fix it, get her back, and nothing in the universe would stop him.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	8. Creating A Time Lord

He watched the sedative slowly drip into her IV. He didn't like leaving her there, but he couldn't take her with him. Couldn't chance anyone finding out about her. The only one who knew, so far, was the doctor taking care of her. He didn't know exactly what she was, only that she wasn't entirely human, a new sort of cross species, at least, that's the explanation he gave.

He knew the doctor wouldn't say anything. Not if he wanted his family to live. The flesh bags were all similar that way. Didn't matter the species they each had something or someone that could be used against them. He gave her one last look before turning and walking out the door.

He passed the guards, stationed on either side of her door. He couldn't be too careful with her. The doctor taking care of her was the only one allowed in her room and they were also there just in case. He doubted she'd wake up, what with that sedative and all, but he wasn't sure what she was capable of with that time energy so much a part of her. Something he'd find out later, after everything was sorted.

He popped his head into the doctor's office. The man was sitting at his desk going over some tests he'd preformed earlier on her. The doctor looked up, nervously dropping the paper he was holding.

"Mr. Chambers," he said, which came out more of a squeak.

Chambers. That was the name he was going by. John Chambers. He took the name from the Doctor's memory. He liked the implications of that name. Who that person had been to the Doctor and it seemed fitting.

"I'll be leaving now. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that she's to stay under until I return and no one…no one else is allowed in that room," John insisted.

"No…I mean, yes, yes, I'll make sure."

"Good."

John typed the coordinates into the vortex manipulator he borrowed from the Time Agent and hit the button. The doctor's office vanished and was replaced by another office with another doctor sitting behind a large desk. A Kahler doctor. This process would require someone with advanced technical skills, not that John couldn't pull it off, but he knew when a specialist was required.

"Everything in order?" John asked.

"Yes," the Kahler replied, standing up. "The machine's ready. We can begin immediately."

"Fantastic!"

He followed the Kahler out the door and down the hall to a large room. The machine, a monstrosity with a glass door, was stationed at one end of the room. It should, in theory, extract his human DNA, amplify his Time Lord DNA, and interweave that with time energy. Of course it might also kill the meta-crisis' body. He couldn't know for sure because there wasn't another like him to test it on.

The Kahler opened the door and John stepped inside. Once the door closed the only sound he heard was a humming coming from the machine. The humming increased. He closed his eyes, waiting. It would work. It had to work. The humming became a high pitched whine and then his entire body was on fire, burning from the inside out. He screamed, doubling over, telling himself that if it worked it was worth the pain and more.

He screamed again as the burning sensation increased. It felt like fire was tearing through bone, muscle, flesh. He dropped to one knee, unable to keep himself upright. The high pitched whine became a scream, mingling with his scream and then it was over. The machine silenced. He collapsed to the floor, panting. A sheen of sweat on his exposed skin.

The door opened and the Kahler was helping him out and then over to a chair. He practically collapsed into it.

"Here," the Kahler said, handing him a glass. "Drink."

He wasn't sure what was in the glass, but, at the moment, he was too thirsty to care. He downed the liquid and then gagged. Eh, it tasted like…eh!

"What is that?"

Before the Kahler could answer John's body twitched and then he was no longer in the room. He was standing…well, if he didn't know any better he'd say he was in the meta-crisis' mind, but that would mean…the meta-crisis appeared.

"I got rid of you," John said.

"No, you only thought you did," the meta-crisis replied. "I was dormant though, but now that you've changed me you've given me the power to fight you."

John laughed.

"Fight me? You don't stand a chance against me."

"There's always a chance. The Doctor beat you and since we're basically the same I'm sure I can beat you too."

"He cheated," John said, closing the distance between them. "I won't give you the chance to do that."

He grabbed the meta-crisis.

"But you already have."

He glared at the meta-crisis.

"What do you mean?"

"Ever wonder what regenerating feels like?"

"You wouldn't!"

"I told you I have access to your memories. I know what you've done to her…what you're planning to do and I won't let you. So, yeah, to save her I will."

John felt the regeneration process begin. No! No, no, no, no! He had to do something. If he didn't it would burn the cybermite off and him with it. He couldn't stop the meta-crisis, who was no longer a meta-crisis, but a full Time Lord. He had to fully merge with the new Doctor's mind and send the meta-crisis' consciousness into the cybermite. He began the process.

"What…what're you doing?" the meta-crisis demanded.

John smile. Oh, yes! He could feel it, they both could feel it, only the other wasn't entirely sure what was going on.

"Making room," John replied.

"No! But…but you can't do that!"

"Can't I?"

The new Doctor's body exploded with regeneration energy. Every cell in his body burned. Every cell died and then was reborn. He screamed and then it was over. He opened his eyes, catching sight of the Kahler doctor who looked both concerned and surprised. The new Doctor stood up…no not the new Doctor, that was a rubbish titled. He needed a new title, well, could worry about that later.

"Ha ha!" he exclaimed. "It worked!"

"Yes, well, it would appear so," the Kahler stammered, not entirely sure what was going on.

The new Doctor caught site of the cybermite lying on the ground. He stomped on it. Once. Twice. Three times. Until it was broken into bits and those bits were broken into bits and so on. Couldn't chance him getting out…ever getting out. He was gone and needed to stay gone.

"Now that, that's sorted have you got anything to eat? I'm starving."

"Um…well, yes," the Kahler said, giving him a confused look.

"Well, then bring me something," he ordered, "off you pop!"

"Yes, alright, yes, sir," the Kahler said, scrambling for the door.

He turned around and stumbled over the chair, falling to the floor. Oh, well, that's not what he meant to do.

"Are you all right, Mr. Chambers?" one of the Kahler's assistants asked, running over to help.

"Steering's a bit off," he replied, standing up. "I'll be fine. It'll just take a bit of getting used to." He eyed the assistant. "Why am I telling you this? Don't you have something to do?"

The assistant turned around and dashed back across the room. He was used to order and being in control, but, at the moment, he was being overwhelmed by emotions and random thoughts. This was going to take more than a bit of getting used to.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	9. Rescue

First there was Jack to deal with. Erasing his memories and then implanting the idea that the Time Agency had erased two years of his life. John strapped the vortex manipulator to the Time Agent's wrist. He would've liked to keep it, but he could always get another. Then he set the coordinates, returning Jack to his ship within an hour of when he left.

Now it was Rose's turn. Keeping her sedated worked for now, but he had plans, plans that involved having her awake and she'd be a lot easier to deal with if she forgot what he'd done to Jack and the meta-crisis. He came to her door, not even giving the guards a glance as he opened it and stepped inside.

She was exactly where he left her and still under sedation. Good. He didn't need her awake for this. Would be a lot easier if she wasn't. He walked over to her bed then bent over, putting one hand on either of her temples. Then he closed his eyes, reaching into her mind, plucking out those memories. Taking her back to the moment when the TARDIS vanished.

**-0-**

The Doctor entered the coordinates and flipped the lever to start the Time Rotor. Then he grabbed onto the console as the TARDIS launched into the Time Vortex. He wasn't sure how Rose had gotten back to his universe, but he knew someone was keeping her in that hospital. That's the feeling he got from Ood Sigma. She was in trouble.

Had she come through on her own and then been captured? It was doubtful. The last time she came back she'd used a dimension cannon and that hadn't started to work until the walls of reality began to break down. She didn't know how to get through on her own or she would've broken through before that. The meta-crisis might've helped her, but he should know how dangerous that was. That by breaking through both universes could be ripped apart. That only left one scenario. Someone took her and it had to have been right before he sealed the crack.

Who could've done that? The only person who knew he took her back was Donna and she wasn't about to tell anyone, not with her memories locked away. Unless…unless someone got to her, unlocked her memories. Oh, that would be bad. Really not good.

First he had to save Rose and then he could figure out how she came to be there. He flipped another lever. He was close and he wasn't going to take any chances. Instead of bringing her to the TARDIS he brought the TARDIS to her. Materializing around her. The hospital bed appeared in the control room with her lying on top. He pushed a button. Just a few more seconds and she would be there. Safe inside the TARDIS.

**-0-**

John reached for the door handle, intent on finding the doctor to have the sedatives flushed from her system, but stopped as a sound reached him. A sort of wheezing, whooshing sound. He recognized it from the Doctor and the meta-crisis' memories. The TARDIS.

He spun around as it began to materialize around her bed. No! No, no, no, no! He raced across the room. The Doctor! He found her was taking her and there wasn't anything John could do.

"No!" he yelled, knowing how futile it was, but not caring.

The door to the room opened and both guards rushed inside. They were useless…less than useless. He growled in fury as the TARDIS appeared and then began to dematerialize.

**-0-**

Once Rose solidified the Doctor launched the TARDIS into the Time Vortex, not wanting to take a chance of anything happening. He parked her in the middle of the Vortex. They'd be safe there. He raced around the console and up to the bed she was lying in. Then he pulled out his sonic and scanned her.

Sedatives. She was being kept under, probably by whoever took her. He pulled the IV out of her arm and then scooped her up and carried her back to…he paused as he started down the corridor. He was going to take her to her room instead of the sick bay because he wanted her around familiar surroundings when she woke, but when he regenerated he destroyed the TARDIS and most likely her room along with it.

The lights flickered and a door appeared on his left. A perfectly ordinary wooden door to anyone else with the exception of a gold symbol carved into the wood at eye level. Only, he knew what that symbol was. Rose in Gallifreyan. He smiled.

"Thanks, dear," he said. "A little help, though, if you don't mind."

The door opened and he stepped inside. Her room was exactly how she left it, down to the jean skirt she'd left on the floor. He glanced at it fondly. He really liked that skirt and the way it…he shook his head, best not think about that right now. He carried her over to the bed and laid her down. He couldn't help smiling. Then he headed out of her room to retrieve the supplies he needed from the sick bay.

He wasn't sure what she'd been through or how she'd take his new look, but he had her back and that was the important part. He tried to be strong when he walked away, tried to hold it together because he was trying to keep her safe. Trying to make sure Caan's prophesy wasn't fulfilled. Getting her out before he lost her.

As he walked away he felt as if both of his hearts had been wrenched from his chest, but he was able to push that aside when he focused on Donna. Kept her from burning up, but after he dropped her off he was alone again and that feeling returned. The pain, the misery, the utter despair of losing Rose consumed him. He was in love with her, but she was so much more than the woman he loved. She was part of him, their souls intertwined, a beacon of hope in his darkest days, a ray of sunlight shining through the shadows of his life and she was gone.

He didn't look for another companion after that, didn't want one. The loss he felt brought him to the edge, creating the Time Lord Victorious and he knew what would've happened if Adelaide hadn't killed herself, knew what he was thinking as he walked away. He was going to get her back, rip through two universes to get her and damn the consequences. Because in that moment he didn't care. He was the Last Time Lord. The winner. All of space and time were at his command and he would make them, make the universe give her back.

He walked back into her room and over to her bed, sitting on the edge. He picked up her arm and pressed the medical gun against her skin then pulled the trigger. Then he set the gun on the side table. He took her hand as she began to stir. Her eyelids fluttered and then opened. She gazed at him for a moment, but instead of the smile he expected she seemed confused.

"Um…Hello," she said.

"Hello," he replied, unable to keep from smiling.

She tried to sit up and then seemed to realize he was holding her hand. She glanced from her hand to him.

"Do you mind?" she asked, but not rude, more confused than anything else.

"Oh, uh, sorry, no," he replied, releasing her hand, a bit reluctantly. "Are you all right? Do you feel all right? Haven't got a headache or anything?"

She sat up, slowly, watching him.

"Dizziness? Nauseous? Anything at all?" he continued, anxiously.

"No, mate," she laughed. "I'm fine. Really."

Mate? Why was she acting like…and then he remembered. New look. She didn't recognize him, but of course she wouldn't he'd just regenerated. She was gazing around the room.

"Rose, I'm-" he began.

"Hang on. This is…this is my room," she interrupted.

"That's right."

"My room on the TARDIS. How did I get here?"

"I brought you here."

She returned her gaze to him.

"You, but…but where's the Doctor?"

"I am the Doctor," he said, giving her a smile.

"But…" she glanced over him and then she scooted forward, leaning towards him as she gazed into his eyes. He found himself leaning closer to her as if he was drawn to her. His hearts sped up. She was close, so, so, close and all he wanted to do was…She smiled. "It is you."

Then she threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. He smiled, pulling her closer. She was there, really, truly there and he wouldn't let anything in the universe take her away again. He felt a tear slide down his cheek. Crying because he was happy, so very, very happy. That was so human, but she made him feel human.

"Doctor," she said.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I can't breathe."

"Oh," he released her and then took her hand in his as he wiped a stray tear from his cheek. "Sorry. Got a bit…carried away."

"Are you…all right?" she asked, gazing into his eyes there were tears in hers as well.

"Happy tears," he said, giving her a smile.

"I ought to slap you, you know."

"Rose Tyler, you'd slap a man for a few tears?"

"I'd slap you for leaving me on that beach."

Oh, yeah, there was that. He deserved that. He lifted his chin and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Go on then," he said, bracing himself for a Tyler slap.

"What are you doing?" she laughed.

"You're right. I deserve a slap for that, probably deserve more, but a slap'll do."

"Oh, go on," she laughed, giving his arm a shake. Then more of a shake when he kept his eyes shut. "Doctor."

He opened one eye.

"Aren't you going to slap me?"

"No, you idiot. I'm not going to slap you."

"And you're not just saying that?"

She laughed.

"I'm not going to slap you, Doctor."

He opened the other eye, drawing his eyebrows together in confusion.

"Why not?"

"Do you want me to slap you?"

"No, no, I'm not saying that."

"Oh, come here you idiot," she said, pulling him into another hug.

No slap and another hug. He could get used to this. He pulled her close, careful not to crush her this time. He was still getting used to his new body. He smiled into her hair. He could definitely use more of this. She pulled back sooner than he'd like.

"So," she said, "Mind telling me why I'm wearing a hospital gown."

"That's where you were," he replied.

"I was in a hospital?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"You don't remember how you got there?"

"No. The last thing I remember is the beach. Watching the TARDIS dematerialize and then I woke up here."

"So, you don't know what happened?"

She shook her head.

"No, I don't."

She didn't remember leaving the parallel world. She could've left on her own and something happened that made her forget, but the most likely scenario was that someone took her and that person kept her sedated the entire time, which was why she didn't remember anything. She could also have blocked it out. He could go inside her mind. Find out for sure, but he didn't want to do that. Not yet. If she blocked it out then whatever she went through was bad. Really not good and making her remember that might break her. He'd just gotten her back. He didn't want to lose her that way. No, it could wait. He stood up.

"Why don't you get dressed and then meet me in the control room," he said.

"Get dressed?" she asked.

"Unless you want to run around some alien planet in a hospital gown."

She gave him a smile as she stood up.

"Where are we going?"

"I was supposed to pick someone up, but she can wait. We'll go wherever you want to go. How does that sound?" he asked.

"She?" Rose inquired, raising her brow.

"Sorry?"

"You said _she can wait_. She who?"

And there was that look, that _and exactly what were you doing with another woman _look and he couldn't help smiling because if there's one thing that look told him it was that she still felt the same.

"Rose Tyler are you jealous?" he teased.

"Oh, shut up," she said, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and in the next moment she was laughing. Her laugh was infectious, as it always had been, making him laugh and then she finally managed to control herself. "So, are you going to tell me who she is or should I reconsider that slap."

Slap? That was really not good.

"Oh…um…Amy. Little Scottish girl I met right after I regenerated. She's not little anymore. There was a crack in her wall. A crack that wasn't an ordinary crack and a prisoner escaped through it into her house, but then the engines in the TARDIS started phasing and I had to take a quick hop into the future and back. She wanted to go with me, but it was too dangerous. I couldn't be sure the engines wouldn't burn up. I told her I'd be back in five minutes, but I got the time wrong and I was a bit late," he finished, rubbing the back of his neck.

She eyed him, folding her arms over her chest.

"How late?"

He rubbed the back of his neck again, nervously.

"Twelve years." She laughed. He blinked. "What're you laughing at?"

"You."

"Me?"

What did she mean by that?

"Did you find the prisoner?"

Changing the subject on him, but she was smiling so he allowed it.

"Of course."

"But you didn't take her with you?"

"You were in trouble."

"So, you left her behind to save me," she said, crossing the room to take his hand.

"Well, yes, you're…" he trailed off, because he wasn't sure if he should say, he wanted to say, but wasn't sure. So instead, he took his gaze from her to wander around the room, but he caught her cheeky grin and he couldn't help smiling.

"I'm what?" she asked, squeezing up next to him.

He gave her a sideways glance.

"Important."

"Go on then," she said, shoving him toward the door. "I'll meet you in the control room in five minutes."

He opened the door and then paused, glancing at her.

"Five minutes?"

"Or twelve years, we'll see," she laughed, giving him that cheeky grin again.

He smiled, stepping out, and closing the door behind. He was happy. So, so, happy. Rose Tyler in the TARDIS with the Doctor. Everything was exactly how it should be.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	10. Silence in the Library

Okay, this chapter and the next took forever, but hopefully they came out well. :)

Let the rewriting of his past begin.

I'm starting with the Library episodes because, well, with Rose there you know that whole marrying River thing wouldn't happen and if not then...what happens at the Library?

* * *

River stopped in front of the doors that led to the main room. She waited for everyone to catch up and then blasted them open before leading her expedition team inside. She only made it a few steps before she paused. The Doctor. Not the one she knew. This was his most recent previous regeneration. Oh, but she recognized him, had seen that face looking back at her from pictures. Only, he wasn't wearing the goofy grin he wore in all those photos.

She crossed the room toward him, smiling, thinking of all the stories she'd been told. She remembered them well. She gazed over him, her smile turning into a smirk, and he called all those other blokes pretty boys. Oh, this was going to be fun. She walked right up to him and hit the button on her helmet to adjust her polarized filter so he could see her face. She gave him a smile.

"Hello, sweetie," she greeted.

Something she teasingly called the other Doctor. A suggestion from her friend, her best friend. A joke between them.

The Doctor eyed her.

"Get out," he ordered. Then he turned his attention to the others.

"Doctor," a redheaded woman said.

He ignored her, dashing toward the others. Was the redhead one of his previous companions or had she too found her way to the Library?

"All of you turn around, get back in your rocket, and fly away," he adamantly demanded. "Tell your grandchildren you came to the Library and lived. They won't believe you."

He was in a state. Not like the man she knew. The one who had become one of her closest friends. That one would've explained what was going on. This one seemed more than a bit angrier. She glanced around the room, looking for someone…someone who wasn't there and then she knew.

"Pop your helmets everyone. We've got breathers," she said, popping her own helmet and removing it. The others on team did the same.

The Doctor eyed her.

"How do you know they're not androids," Anita, a member of the expedition team, asked.

"Because I've dated androids," River replied. "They're rubbish."

She'd only dated two, but that had been enough to turn her off of them for good. Talk about one track minds. Mr. Lux crossed the room toward her, all commanding like, as if he was actually in charge. River rolled her eyes.

"Who is this?" Mr. Lux demanded. "You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives."

River smiled.

"I lied. I'm always lying. Bound to be others."

She could do without him. She only took the job because of what happened there. The biggest Library in the universe. A place visited by millions until it went quiet. There had been people here when it happened, but the planet sealed and everyone had been trapped. How could she resist?

"Ms. Evangelista, I want to see the contracts," Mr. Lux demanded.

River turned her attention to the Doctor, looking him over again. Yes, definitely a pretty boy. Oh, she was going to tease him about this, not the him standing in front of her, but the other one. She smiled at the thought.

"You came through the north door, yeah? How was that? Much damage?" she asked.

He faced her putting his hands on his hips.

"Please, just leave," he insisted. "I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave." His attention suddenly turned to Mr. Lux. "Hang on. Did you say expedition?"

What was going on with him? Why was he acting like they didn't know each other? He must have a reason, but she wasn't sure what that reason was, but she was sure he'd tell her eventually.

"My expedition," Mr. Lux replied. "I funded it."

"Oh, you're not are you," the Doctor said, in a horribly disappointed sort of way…like getting socks for Christmas, "Tell me you're not archeologists."

She eyed him, trying not to laugh. He was teasing, had to be. He knew she was an archeologist.

"Got a problem with archeologists," she asked, raising her brow.

"I'm a time traveler. I point and laugh at archeologists," he replied.

"Ah," she said, holding out her hand as she tried to hold her laughter in. "Professor River Song. Archeologist."

"River Song, lovely name," he said taking her hand and pulling her towards him and then pushing her at the door, "As you're leaving and you're leaving now. You need to set up a quarantine beacon. Code wall the planet. The whole planet. Nobody comes here. Not ever again. Not one living thing. Not here. Not ever." He turned, catching Anita as she tried to walk through a doorway. "Stop right there," he ordered, grabbing her and pulling her back into the room. "What's your name?"

There was something going on. Had to be. He was worried, she could see that now.

"Anita," Anita said as he pulled her across the room.

"Anita, stay out of the shadows. Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship. Goes for all of you. Stay in the light. Find a nice, bright spot, and just stand. If you understand me look very, very scared." He eyed them each in turn. Yes, he was definitely worried. "No, a bit more scared than that." He looked at each of them again. "Okay, do for now. You. Who're you?" He asked, crossing the room toward Other Dave.

She watched him, wondering what had him so concerned. She thought about contacting her friend who was back onboard her team's ship, but she dismissed the idea. Had to be careful. She couldn't chance him finding out about the other woman. If he did, that might very well change things and she couldn't let that happen.

Rose didn't usually come with her on expeditions, but she, occasionally , popped in on River when she wanted to catch up or just spend time together. Over the years they'd known each other they'd become friends, best friends. Rose had been there for her during times when no one else was. Her friend gave her parents back to her, gave her a chance to know them after what Kovarian did to her and that was something River could never repay.

So, when Rose showed up out of the blue and wanted to come along River was more than happy to spend time with her. This must be way she wanted to come. Seeing him again. She knew how her friend felt about the Doctor, the one River knew, but this one would always hold a special place in her friend's heart.

"Er…Dave," Other Dave said, answering the Doctor's question regarding his name.

"Okay, Dave," the Time Lord replied.

"Oh, well, Other Dave because that's proper Dave," he said, pointing at Dave, "…the pilot. He was the first Dave so when we-"

"Other Dave," the Doctor interrupted, pulling him into the hall, "The way you came, does it look the same as before?"

"Yeah. Oh! It's a bit darker."

"How much darker?"

Darker? What did that mean?

"Oh, like, like I could see where we came through just like a moment ago. I can't now."

"Seal up this door. We'll find another way out."

Seal up the door? It had to be pretty bad if he didn't want to chance going near it, whatever it was.

"Would you…" Other Dave began, but the Doctor walked back into the room, ignoring him.

Her friend was right. This previous version was quite rude.

"We're not looking for a way out," Mr. Lux said. "Ms. Evangelista?" He handed her a clipboard with the contracts on it.

River couldn't help smiling. She was fairly sure where this was going. Evangelista caught up with the Doctor and the redhead.

"Uh, I'm Mr. Lux's personal everything. You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experiences inside the library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."

"Right, give it here," the Doctor said, reaching for one.

"Yeah, lovely. Thanks," the redhead replied, also reaching for a contract.

They each took one, ripped them in half, and then tossed them on in the air. Just as she thought. She was having a hard time not laughing. It was the nagging worry over the Doctor being so concerned that stopped her.

"My family built this library. I have rights," Mr. Lux insisted, crossing the room toward the Doctor.

"You have a mouth that won't stop," River snapped. He was worried about contracts, but she was worried about the Doctor's concern. She eyed the Time Lord. "You think there's danger here?"

"Something came to this library and killed everything in it. Killed a whole world. Danger?" the Doctor said, giving her a sideways nod. "Could be."

"That was a hundred years ago. The Library's been silent for a hundred years. Whatever came here's long dead."

He turned his head, catching her eye.

"Bet your life?"

He should know.

"Always," she said, giving him a smile.

He glanced at her curiously and then crossed the room toward Mr. Lux. She watched him. There were only five people she trusted and he was one of them. Not first on the list, that person was back on the ship, but he was a close second, tied only with Amy.

"What're you doing?" Mr. Lux asked in the background.

"He said, seal the door," Other Dave replied.

"Torch," the Doctor ordered.

Mr. Lux raised his torch. The Doctor snatched it from him.

"You're taking orders from him?" Mr. Lux asked.

"Spooky, isn't it?" the Doctor inquired as he crossed the room, passing River on his way.

He turned on the torch and pointed it into the shadows. The redhead joined him and River watched from behind.

"Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark," the Doctor explained. "But they're wrong because it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."

"What's Vashta Nerada?" the redhead asked.

"It's what's in the dark. What's always in the dark. Lights!" he exclaimed, turning around and walking back toward the group. "That's what we need. Lights!" He tossed the torch at Mr. Lux. "You got any lights?"

Lights? So whatever it was had to do with the shadows. Vashta Nerada? She tried to remember if she ever heard of them, but she couldn't recall anything.

"What for?" River asked.

"Form a circle. Safe area," the Doctor said, sweeping his hands around him as if to form a circle. "Big as you can. Lights pointing out."

Then he removed his coat.

"Oi," River said, eyeing her team. "Do as he says."

She would've liked an explanation, but she trusted him. It didn't matter what face he wore she knew he always did what he thought was right. Always protected other people. Same as her friend. Same as her.

"You're not listening to this man?" Mr. Lux asked.

River looked at him.

"Apparently, I am." She turned to her team members. "Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mr. Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an active terminal. I want you to access the library database. See what you can find about what happened here a hundred years ago." She bent down, picked up her helmet and bag, "Pretty boy, you're with me. Step into my office."

"Professor Song," Mr. Lux called, drawing her attention. "Why am I the only one wearing my helmet?"

"I don't fancy you," she said with a smile before turning and crossing the room.

She glanced over to the Doctor, he was leaning against a console, staring at the monitor over Dave's shoulder.

"Pretty boy, with me I said," she called.

The Doctor glanced at the redhead and then seemed to catch on.

"Oh, I'm pretty boy?" he asked.

"Yes. Ooo, that came out a bit quick," she replied.

"Pretty?" he asked.

The redhead gave a sideways nod.

"Meh."

The Doctor gave his own sideways nod and then crossed the room toward River.

"Don't let your shadows cross," he warned, eyeing the team members. "Seriously, don't even let them touch. Any of them could be infected."

"How could a shadow be infected?" Other Dave asked, but the Doctor ignored him and continued across the room.

River opened her pack and began digging items out until she came to the one she was looking for. The Doctor joined her, leaning against the table and folding his arms. He watched her. She pulled out her TARDIS blue diary. The one they gave to her all those years ago. She flipped through the pages, staying away from any to do with Rose. Her friend wasn't there with him, which meant this was during a time either after he lost her to the Rift or dropped her back on that parallel world.

"Thanks," she said.

"For what?" he asked, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"The usual. For coming when I call."

Rose was the one who asked her to call. Said she might need some help, although River hadn't been entirely sure why, but she always trusted her friend's instincts.

"Oh, that was you?" he asked.

"You're doing a very good job acting like you don't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason," she said.

"Yeah, a fairly good one, actually."

"Okay," River said, glancing at him. "Should we do diaries then? Where are we this time?" She glanced at the diary and then his face. "Um, going by your face I'd say it's early days for you, yeah?" She glanced back at her diary. "So, um, crash of the Byzantium. Have we done that yet?" He just stared at her. "Obviously ringing no bells." She turned another page. "All right…um…Picnic at Asgard?" she asked, thinking fondly of the first time her family was together, not just her parents, but the others too. "Have we done Asgard yet?" He continued to stare at her. She raised her brow. "Obviously not. Blimey, very early days then. Whoo, life of a time traveler, never knew it could be such hard work." She glanced from her diary to his face again. "Um…" And that's when she saw it. "Look at you." She sighed. "You're young."

"I'm really not, you know."

"No, but you are." She reached over and touched his shoulder, gazing into his eyes. So much younger than they'd ever been. She remembered the first time she looked into them when she was just a little girl, even then she could see it. The years. The pain. There was more pain in them now, but she knew why. It was because he lost her, Rose, he either lost her or walked away, but that had been losing her too. "You're younger than I've ever seen you."

"You've seen me before then?" he asked, glancing at her hand on his shoulder.

Her smile faltered. What?

"Doctor," she said, gazing into the eyes of the man who meant so much to her and so much more to her friend. "Please, tell me you know who I am."

He glanced at her hand again and then back to her.

"Who are you?" he asked.

And that's when she knew. She sat back, despair filling her heart because she knew what his not knowing meant. This was it. Her life with them had always been back to front. Never meeting in the same order. When she first met them they knew everything about her and now…she should've known when she realized her friend wasn't there, well, not there with the Doctor.

She knew what would happen here, in this place. She remembered. Two words. Given by her friend, whispered into her ear, oh, so very long ago. At first, she didn't know what the words were for, but she knew now. _A day will come. A day when you'll need to know those words and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'll be there, but I can't help you. It's something you have to do on your own because the choice has to be yours. _

Today was that day. Only, she didn't know what choice her friend had been talking about. The Doctor was going on about a phone. She pulled herself together. Now, wasn't the time to dwell on the past. If the past caught up with her today then so be it. She needed to make sure her team made it out of there. They were her responsibility.

The Doctor tried to call up the data core, but for some reason a little girl answered and then he was bumped out. An _Access Denied _message flashing across the screen.

"What happened? Who was that?" River asked.

The Doctor punched keys on the keyboard, but he couldn't access the data core.

"I need another terminal," he said and then dashed across the room. "Keep working on those lights! Need those lights!"

"You heard him people. Let there be light," River said, running after him.

She found him typing on another terminal, but caught him glancing at her diary. He reached for it, picking it up, but she took it from him.

"Sorry, you're not allowed to see inside the book," she said. "It's against the rules."

"What rules?" he asked.

"Your rules," she replied, turning around and walking back to her pack to put the book away.

It wouldn't do for him to read it. Wouldn't do at all. Future knowledge was dangerous and the future knowledge inside her diary could change everything. Not only for him, but for her friend, and herself as well. He couldn't know.

She hated keeping the truth from him. She knew how much he was being torn up inside, but he had to live through this, had to have the bad before he could have the good. After stuffing her diary back and zipping up her pack she began helping with the lights, but before she got on too far books began flying from the shelves. She tried to ignore it because the lights were what was important. Then the books began flying off the shelves again.

"What's causing that?" she asked. "Is it the little girl?"

"But who is the little girl?" the Doctor asked. She turned to him, he was sitting on the counter. "What's she got to do with this place?" He eyed River. "How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's Cal?"

She led the expedition team, but she didn't know all of that. That was Mr. Lux's territory.

"Ask Mr. Lux," she said.

The Doctor eyed Mr. Lux.

"Cal, what is it?"

"Sorry, you didn't sign your personal experience contracts," Mr. Lux replied.

The Doctor hopped off the counter and crossed the room toward Mr. Lux. She could see anger flashing in his eyes, anger he was barely holding back.

"Mr. Lux," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he faced the man. "Right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life. And you're protecting a patent?"

"I'm protecting my family's pride."

"Well, funny thing, Mr. Lux. I don't want to see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important," the Doctor replied with a dangerous edge to his voice.

This was going nowhere fast. She had to find a way to diffuse him or they'd never make it out of there.

"Then why don't you sign his contract?" River asked, drawing both their attention. "I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you."

The Doctor gave her a confused and slightly surprised look, there was distrust there as well. Then glanced between her and Mr. Lux as if he had no idea what was going on. Good. Better that then having a yelling match with Mr. Lux because they were both too stubborn to give in.

"Okay. Okay. Okay," the Doctor exclaimed, walking across the room. "Let's start at the beginning." He turned around. "What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?"

Good. Moving on. Moving on was good.

"There was a message from the Library. Just one. The lights are going out. Then the computer sealed the planet and there was nothing for a hundred years," River explained.

"It's taken three generations of my family just to decode the seals and get back in," Mr. Lux said.

"Um…excuse me," Evangelista interrupted.

"Not just now," Mr. Lux shot.

"There was one other thing in the last message," River said, bending down and dug the handheld from her pack.

"That's confidential," Mr. Lux insisted.

She eyed him. He was annoying to no end.

"I trust this man. With my life. With everything," she insisted.

The only person she trusted more than him was sitting in a ship orbiting the Library, probably listening to them at that very moment, if she knew her friend as well as she thought she did and she knew Rose very well, had known her since she was little. River caught the Doctor's surprised look, but ignored it as she drew up the data.

"You've only just met him," Mr. Lux insisted.

"Nope, he's only just met me," River replied.

The Doctor crossed the room to join her, gazing at her handheld as she brought up the message.

"Um…this might be important, actually," Evangelista interrupted, again.

"In a moment," Mr. Lux ordered, impatiently.

"This is the data extract that came with the message," River said.

"Four thousand and twenty-two saved. No survivors," the Doctor read.

"Four thousand and twenty-two. That's the exact number of people who were in the Library when the planet was sealed."

"But how can four thousand and twenty-two people have been saved if there were no survivors?" the redhead asked.

"That's what we're here to find out," River explained.

"And so far, we haven't found any bodies," Mr. Lux said.

A scream tore through the room. In the next moment the Doctor was running for a passage that opened in the wall and River was right behind him.

**-0-**

Ms. Evangelista was dead. The Vashta Nerada killed her. Creatures that lived in the shadows and could tear flesh from bone in less than a few seconds. She survived for a few moments as a data ghost. Then she was gone. River wanted to find the creatures and not just destroy them, but obliterate them.

They raced back into the room she entered when she first arrived. The Doctor shined the torch into the shadows.

"I'm going to need a pack lunch," he said.

"Hang on," River said, running over to her pack and digging through it.

The Doctor bent down next to her as she pulled her diary out to get to her food supply. He eyed her.

"What's in that book?" he asked.

"Spoilers," she dismissed.

There was no way she was letting him anywhere near her diary. Not now, not ever. He was far too emotional. She wasn't sure what he'd do if he knew, knew how close her friend was…who her friend was.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Professor River Song, university of-" she began.

"To me. Who are you to me?"

"Again," she said, catching his eye. "Spoilers." She opened her lunch pack and handed it over. "Chicken and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."

He continued to stare at her for a few moments. She thought about how much of a friend the other Doctor was, the future Doctor, and how important he was to Rose, but she couldn't tell him what she knew. That there were dark times ahead for him, some of the darkest he'd ever known, but in the end he would have her back. In the end they'd be together. He couldn't know that, couldn't know how close the woman he lost was. Finally he took her lunch pack and stood up and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Right, you lot. Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada," he said, facing the group.

River watched him bend down and begin checking the shadows under one of the tables. He held the torch in front of him and scanned the area with his sonic. The redhead was next to her.

"You travel with him, don't you?" River asked. "The Doctor, you travel with him?"

"What of it?" the redhead snapped.

River looked at her. There was distrust in the woman's voice.

"Proper Dave, could you move over a bit?" the Doctor inquired.

"Why?" Proper Dave asked.

"Over there by the water cooler. Thanks."

"You know him, don't you?" the redhead asked.

"Oh, God, do I know that man. We go way back, that man and me and…" she trailed off, glancing at the other woman. Almost said too much, almost slipped.

"And who?" the woman asked.

"Just not this far back," River replied, turning her attention to the Doctor and hoping the woman wouldn't insist on an answer.

"I'm sorry…what?"

"He hasn't met me yet. I sent him a message, but it went wrong. It arrived too early. This is the Doctor in the days before he knew me. And he looks at me. He looks right through me and…and I know what that means."

"What're you talking about?" the redhead demanded. "Are you just talking rubbish? Do you know him, or don't you?"

"Donna! Quiet. I'm working," the Doctor snapped.

The name…River recognized that name. She turned to the woman.

"Donna, you're Donna. Donna Noble."

"Yeah. Why?"

"I do know the Doctor, but in the future. His personal future."

"So, why don't you know me? Where am I in the future?"

Oh. That was bad. River didn't think about that, didn't think that Donna would ask that.

"Okay," the Doctor called, interrupting them and River thought she'd never been so grateful for an interruption before that moment. "I've got a live one." He stood up and faced them. "That's not darkness down those tunnels. This is not a shadow." He reached for River's lunch pack and picked it up. "It's a swarm." He bent down in front of the table. Donna joined him and River watched from behind. "A man eating swarm."

He grabbed the chicken leg and tossed it into the shadow. The moment it hit the shadow the flesh vanished and when the chicken leg hit the floor the only thing left was bone. That's how they killed Evangelista. Now River knew why he was worried. They were in trouble, worse trouble than she'd ever been in. These weren't aliens bent on domination or revenge, there was no reasoning, no fighting her way out.

"The piranhas of the air," the Doctor continued. "The Vashta Nerada. Literally, the shadows that melt the flesh. Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive."

"What do you mean most planets?" Donna asked. "Not Earth."

"Mhmm, Earth, and a billion other worlds. Where there's meat there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look. The dust in sunbeams."

Donna shook her head, but River hardly noticed. She was too busy realizing the situation they were in and her mind thinking kept going back to that choice. A choice she had to make.

"If they were on Earth we'd know," Donna insisted.

River shinned her torch down the hall across from her. Dark. Darker than it should be and her torch barely penetrated it.

"Nah, normally they live on road kill. Sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark," the Doctor replied.

"Every shadow?" River asked.

"No, but any shadow," he said.

"So, what do we do?"

"Daleks aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans back of the neck. Vashta Nerada," He turned around and caught her eye, "Run. Just run."

"Run? Run where?"

They were trapped in the Library. Granted it was the biggest library in the universe, but if they could be in any shadow there was nowhere to run.

"This is an index point," the Doctor said, standing up and setting the lunch pack on a table. "There must be an exit teleport somewhere."

"Don't look at me. I haven't memorized the schematics," Mr. Lux replied.

"Doctor," Donna said, pointing. "The little shop. They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff."

Oh, she was good. The Doctor ran back to the little shop and glanced inside.

"You're right," he exclaimed. "Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop."

"Okay, let's move it," Proper Dave said, racing across the room.

"Actually, Proper Dave," the Doctor said, stopping the other man in his tracks. "Could you stay where you are for a moment?"

"Why?" Proper Dave asked.

River turned her attention to the Doctor. There was something in his words that gave her pause.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, walking up to the other man. "I am so, so sorry…but you've got two shadows."

River glanced down. Dave had one shadow behind him and one to the side. No! Her heart dropped. She'd known Proper Dave for a few years, ever since he became part of her team. He was a good man and now…she closed her eyes and sighed.

"It's how they hunt," the Doctor continued. "They latch onto a food source and keep it fresh."

"What do I do?" Proper Dave asked.

"You stay absolutely still. Like there's a wasp in the room. Like there's a million wasps."

"We're not leaving you, Dave," River insisted, she wouldn't leave him behind, wouldn't leave any of them behind.

"Course we're not leaving him. Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."

"On the floor by my bag," Proper Dave replied.

Anita walked over to fetch it.

"Don't cross his shadow," the Doctor ordered.

Anita sidestepped Dave's shadow, picked up the helmet, and handed it to the Doctor.

"Now, the rest of you. Helmets back on and sealed up," the Doctor advised while he helped Proper Dave with his helmet. "We'll need everything we've got."

"But, Doctor, we haven't got any helmets," Donna replied worriedly.

"Yeah, but we're safe anyway."

"How're we safe?"

"We're not. That was a clever lie to shut you up. Professor?" he called, turning his attention to River. "Anything I can do with the suit?"

"What good are the damn suits?" Lux demanded. "Ms. Evangelista was wearing her suit. There was nothing left."

"We can increase the mesh density," River called over Lux's voice. "Dial it up four hundred percent. Make it a tougher meal."

She pulled her sonic from her pocket. They gave it to her, the Doctor and Rose, after they went on their last trip together. Her friend called it an early birthday gift and then joked about how she wanted to make sure River got it early because the Time Lord always seemed to be late with things.

"Okay," the Doctor replied, pulling out his sonic and using it on Proper Dave's suit. "Eight hundred percent."

He handed his sonic over, but she lifted her own.

"Gotcha," she replied.

He eyed her screwdriver in surprise and…worry? Yes, a bit.

"What's that?"

"It's a screwdriver."

"It's sonic."

"Yeah, I know." She lifted it up. "Snap."

She walked over and began dialing up her team's suits. She could feel his eyes on her, but she ignored that.

"With me, come on," the Doctor called after a few moments.

River glanced up as he grabbed Donna's hand and raced into the little shop. She turned back to her work and continued dialing up the suits for the rest of her team.

"Professor," Proper Dave said.

River finished up and then turned to him.

"Everything all right?"

"Yes, I…I think it's better than all right."

"Sorry?"

"Look," he glanced around the floor near him. "Only one shadow."

She looked him over. He was right. Proper Dave only had one shadow. There was a chance that dialing up the suits worked, but she wasn't foolish enough to believe that without a second opinion.

"Doctor," River called.

The Doctor raced through the doors and back into the room.

"He's only got one shadow," she said, nodding at Dave.

The Time Lord looked him over.

"Where did it go?" he asked.

"It's just gone. I looked round, one shadow, see?" Proper Dave said.

If it was gone she wanted to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.

"Does that mean we can leave? I don't want to stand around here," she asked.

"I don't know why we're still here. We can leave him, can't we?" Mr. Lux asked, gesturing at Proper Dave. "I mean, no offense."

"Shut up, Mr. Lux," River snapped.

There was no way she'd leave any of them behind. Well…she glanced at Mr. Lux…no not even him, but she might think about it. Then she realized Donna wasn't there. She glanced at the Doctor and in the next moment knew what he'd done. He took her to the teleporters and sent her somewhere…back to the TARDIS most likely.

"Did you feel anything, like an energy transfer? Anything at all?" the Doctor asked.

"No, no, but look," Proper Dave said, turning around, "it's gone."

The Doctor held his hands out, watching Proper Dave's shadow.

"Stop there," he ordered, a bit nervously, "Stop, stop, stop. Stop there. Stop moving. They're never just gone and they never give up." He pulled out his sonic as he bent down. He checked Dave's shadow. "Well, this one's benign."

"Hey, who turned out the lights," Proper Dave demanded.

River looked at him.

"No one, they're fine," the Doctor said.

"No, seriously. Turn them back on."

"They are on," River said.

"I can't see a ruddy thing," Dave said, fearfully.

The Doctor stood, watching Dave with that worried look, that fearful, worried look.

"Dave…turn around," he instructed.

"What's going on?" Dave asked, as he turned around. "Why can't I see? Is the power gone?" His visor was completely black, but even if the polarization was on he should be able to see from his end. "Are we safe here?"

"Dave, I want you to stay still. Absolutely still."

Dave's body jerked. The Doctor jumped, backing off a step.

"Dave?" he called. "Dave? Dave can you hear me? Are you all right? Talk to me, Dave."

Then Dave stopped. He stood straight.

"I'm fine," Dave said. "I'm okay. I'm fine."

"I want you to stay still. Absolutely still."

"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine…I can't…Why can't I? I-I can't. Why can't I? I-I can't. Why can't I? I-"

"He's gone. He's ghosting," River said, despair creeping into her voice.

Dave was her responsibility and a good man. Part of her team and now…now he was gone.

"Then why is he still standing?" Mr. Lux asked.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Dave's voice asked. The Doctor leaned in. "Hey, who turned out the lights?"

"Doctor don't," River warned. She couldn't chance anything happening to him. Not now. Not this early.

"Dave, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

The Doctor stepped closer and Dave or whatever was inside the suit, reached out and grabbed him. Oh, no! No, no, no! He couldn't die. Not here. Not now. River pulled out her sonic.

"Excuse me!" she exclaimed, shoving her sonic into the suit and zapping the creature inside.

The Proper Dave suit released the Doctor and he scooted back and then jumped to his feet.

"Back from it!" The Doctor ordered. "Get back! Right back!"

Everyone raced back, but when they turned around the creature began to advance on them. Dave's skull was visible in the darkened visor.

"Doesn't move very fast, does it?" River asked, grateful for that. Maybe they could outrun it.

"It's a swarm in a suit," the Doctor replied. Then he glanced at the shadows growing around Dave's suit. "But it's learning."

She watched the shadows advance. If those shadows reached the group they'd be dead, all of them. She glanced around, looking for a way out.

"What do we do? Where do we go?" Mr. Lux demanded.

River eyed the far wall.

"See that wall behind you?" she asked.

Mr. Lux and the Doctor turned around. River pulled out her gun.

"Duck!" she yelled and then pulled the trigger, the gun fired and a square hole big enough for them to climb through appeared in the far wall.

"Squareness gun!" the Doctor exclaimed

"Everybody out," River ordered as she raced for the new exit. "Go! Go! Go! Move it! Move! Move! Move it! Move! Move!"

They stopped in the hall, which happened to be teaming with shadows.

"You said not every shadow," River said.

"But any shadow," the Doctor replied.

She gazed from one side to the other. Both ways looked about the same, one could be just as dangerous as the other.

"Hey who turned out the lights?" Dave's voice called as the creature closed in on them.

"Run!" River yelled, grabbing the Doctor's hand as her mother and her friend would have if they were there.

She raced down the hall, everyone else racing after.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	11. Forest of the Dead

River climbed through the square hole she created in the wall and entered the room. That creature was still after them, but they'd gotten pretty far ahead of it. Hopefully it would take a while for it to catch up because they could all do with a rest, well all of them except the Doctor, what with his Time Lord respiratory system. Her eyes fell on the light, falling down in the middle of the room.

"Okay, we've got a clear spot," she called to the others who were climbing through behind her. "In! In! In!" She raced to the center of the room and then turned around to instruct everyone, well, everyone who was left. "Right in the center. In the middle of the light. Quickly! Don't let your shadows cross." She turned to the Doctor as he scanned the shadows. "Doctor."

"I'm doing it," he replied.

River glanced around the room. "There's no lights here." She looked up at the clear, dome ceiling. "Sunset's coming." She glanced at the Doctor and then back at the ceiling, well, the sky actually. "We can't stay long." She bent down, watching the Time Lord. "Have you found a live one?"

"Maybe, it's getting harder to tell." His sonic flickered, acting like it was dying. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, speaking to his screwdriver.

"Okay," River said, gazing around as she slid her gun back into the holster on her hip. "We're going to need a chicken leg. Who's got a chicken leg?" She glanced at her team. Dave sighed and pulled a cellophane wrapped leg from his pocket. "Thanks, Dave," she said taking it. She pulled the cellophane off and joined the Doctor, then tossed the leg into the shadows. The flesh was stripped before it hit the floor.

"Oh, God," she whispered, backing up. "Okay, we've got a hot one." She joined the rest of her team, kneeling down on the floor with them.

"They won't attack until there's enough of them. But they've got our scent now. They're coming," the Doctor said, standing up and crossing the room.

"Oh, yeah, who is he?" Dave asked in a hushed voice. "You haven't even told us. You just expect us to trust him."

"He's the Doctor," she replied.

"And who is _the Doctor_?" Mr. Lux asked in a very annoyed voice.

"The only story you'll ever tell if you survive him."

"You say he's your friend, but he doesn't even know who you are," Anita pointed out.

"Listen," River said, turning to her, "All you need to know is this. That man is one of only two people I'd trust to get us out of this alive."

"He doesn't act like he trusts you."

"Yeah, there's a tiny problem. He hasn't met me yet," River snapped as she stood up.

She crossed the room, joining the Doctor to find out what was going on. He was crouched on the floor, trying to get his screwdriver to work right. For some reason it wasn't cooperating.

"What's wrong with it?" she asked.

"There's a signal coming from somewhere, interfering with it," he replied.

She pulled her gloves off.

"Then, use the red settings."

"It doesn't have a red setting," he replied, giving her a distrustful glance.

"Well, use the dampers."

"It doesn't have dampers."

She reached into her pocket and pulled hers out.

"It will do one day," she said, handing it over.

He stood up and took the other sonic.

"So, sometime in the future I just give you my screwdriver."

"Yeah," she said, with a nod.

"Why would I do that?"

He didn't trust her, not one bit. She could see that in his eyes and it hurt. The other Doctor, the one she knew, trusted her, not as much as he trusted her friend, but River was pretty high on his list, but this one didn't know who she was, couldn't know.

"I didn't pluck it from your cold, dead hands if that's what you're worried about."

"And I know that because…"

He was upset after losing Donna. She wasn't dead, at least, River really hoped she wasn't because Donna wasn't supposed to die there, but he needed to pull himself together. He was lashing out, at her, at everyone. She was glad the Doctor wasn't still this way. She wasn't sure she could put up with him and she couldn't believe Rose had.

"Listen to me," she insisted, trying to be as calm as she could, but wanting nothing more than to smack him, "You've lost your friend. You're angry. I understand, but you need to be less emotional, Doctor. Right now-"

"Less emotional? I'm not emotional," he insisted.

"There are five people in this room still alive! Focus on that!" How the hell did her friend put up with him? "Dear, God, your hard work young!"

"Youn…Who are you?" he demanded.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Mr. Lux snapped, standing up and walking toward them. "Look at the pair of you! We're all going to die right here, and you're just squabbling like an old married couple!"

Married? She would've laughed at the idea if they weren't in such a dangerous situation. She caught the worried look the Doctor was giving her. He didn't trust her and right now he thought…she needed to get him to trust her, to help them or they'd die, all of them, right there in that library. She couldn't let that happen. She knew what she had to do, but she also knew what it would do to him because she knew what those words meant. How much it would hurt him, but there was nothing for it.

She caught his eye.

"Doctor, one day I'm going to be someone that you trust. Someone close to you, but I can't wait for you to find that out. So, I'm going to prove it to you and I'm sorry." She put her hand on his chest because she knew what those two words would remind him of, but he had to trust her, their lives, all their lives depended on it. "I'm really very sorry." She stood on her tip toes and leaned in, whispering two words into his ear. "Bad Wolf," but not in English in his language, in Gallifreyan, as her friend taught her so he would know that the words couldn't have come from just anyone. She stepped back. He gazed at her, stunned, but more than stunned, there was pain and…hope? Or fear? She couldn't tell which one, maybe both.

"Are we good?" she asked, hoping that it worked as her friend thought it would.

He stood there staring at her without answering and she began to grow afraid that the words had somehow backfired, somehow sent him over the edge.

"Doctor," she tried. "Are we good?"

He nodded, swallowing hard.

"Yeah," he whispered. "Yeah, we're good."

She could tell he wanted to ask, wanted to know, but she wouldn't tell him, couldn't tell him.

"Good," she replied.

She took her sonic back and walked away, leaving him standing there, alone with his thoughts. She could feel him watching her for a moment and then he came out of whatever trance he was in and crossed the room.

"You know what's interesting about my screwdriver?" he asked, holding it up. "Very hard to interfere with. Practically nothing's strong enough. Well, some hairdryers, but I'm working on that." He began circling them as he spoke. "So, there's a very strong signal coming from somewhere and it wasn't there before. So, what's new? What's changed? Come on!" he yelled. "What' s new? What's different?"

"I don't know," Dave said. "Nothing. It's getting dark."

"It's a screwdriver. It works in the dark." Then he glanced up. "Moonrise. Tell me about the moon. What's there?" he asked, glancing at Mr. Lux.

"It's not real. It was built as part of the Library," Mr. Lux replied. "It's just a doctor moon."

"What's a doctor moon?"

"A virus checker. It supports and maintains the main computer at the core of the planet."

The Doctor pressed the button on his sonic.

"Well, it's still active. It's signaling. Look." He crossed the room to the center, holding down the button. "Someone, somewhere in this library is alive and communicating with the moon. Or, possibly alive and drying their hair." He held the sonic next to his ear. "No. Signal is definitely coming from the moon." He turned his sonic to the side, still holding it to his ear. "I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through."

A hologram of Donna appeared in the room.

"Doctor!" River exclaimed.

The Doctor looked up and saw it.

"Donna!" he called.

Then the hologram vanished.

"Doctor, that was your friend. Can you get her back? What was that?"

He fiddled with his sonic.

"Hold on. Hold on. Hold on." He said, still fiddling with his sonic. "I'm trying to find the wavelength. Aaa! I'm being blocked."

"Professor," Anita called.

"Just a moment," River dismissed, trying to help the Doctor with her own sonic.

"It's important," she said, fearfully, "I have two shadows."

River and the Doctor turned.

"Okay," River said. "Helmets on everyone. Anita, I'll get yours."

She crossed the room and picked up Anita' s helmet. She couldn't lose another one. She was glad her friend stayed behind, safe inside her team's ship. Rose had done so much for her, River wasn't sure she could watch her friend die, not like this.

"Didn't do Proper Dave any good," Anita replied.

"Just keep it together, okay?" River asked.

"Keeping it together. I'm only crying. I'm about to die. It's not an overreaction."

River put Anita's helmet into place.

"Hang on," the Doctor said, running his sonic over her visor.

The visor darkened and River's stomach dropped.

"Oh, God, they've got inside," she said.

"No, no, I've just tinted her visor," the Doctor replied. "Maybe they'll think they're already in there. Leave her alone."

"You think they can be fooled like that?"

"Maybe," he said, glancing back at her. "I don't know. It's a swarm. It's not like we chat."

"Can you still see in there?" Other Dave asked.

"Just about," Anita replied.

"Just, just, just, stay back," the Doctor said, sweeping his arm back. "Professor," he put his hand on her arm. "A quick word, please."

"What?" she asked.

He crouched down. What the hell did he want to talk to her about in the middle of all this?

"Down here."

She crouched down next to him.

"What is it?"

"Look, you said there are five people still alive in this room."

"Yeah, so?"

"So…why are there six?"

She stood up and turned around. Everyone turned around. Standing behind them was Proper Dave's suit with the creatures inside.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave's voice asked.

"Run!" the Doctor yelled.

They all dashed out of the room.

**-0-**

Rose leaned on the console, listening to them run for their lives, knowing there wasn't anything she could do to help. It was her dad all over again. She wanted to teleport them, all of them, bring them back to the ship, save her as she'd done, oh, so very long ago, but Rose couldn't. This was the end point. The point in space and time that her friend had been moving to since the day she was born.

Rose wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to pull herself together, but it was a losing battle. She was there because she didn't want the woman who had become so much a part of her life to die alone. So, she'd come with her, against the Doctor's wishes, but River was her friend, her best friend, well, after the Doctor, how could she stay away knowing what was going to happen?

She had to be there, like she promised all those years ago, back when River was Melody and so very small. She'd found her, being kept by the Silence, and she saved her, or thought she had, only Kovarian found the girl, used her and that was something Rose would never forgive herself for. River forgave her, more than forgave her, because Rose had given her back her family, but it wasn't right. Her friend's life should've never turned out this way.

**-0-**

River crouched down and scanned the shadows in the room, another round room, while she waited on the Doctor. He wanted to try to reason with the swarm, as if that was going to work, but this previous version was more stubborn than the one she knew. Rose could reason with him, but he couldn't know about her.

River sighed. Her friend was listening, her best friend, more than a friend because family wasn't always defined by blood. She knew what was happening and she couldn't help them. _I'll be there, but I can't help you. It's something you have to do on your own because the choice has to be yours. _

"You know, it's funny," River said, more to herself than anyone else. "I knew this day was coming, but even knowing it still caught me off guard."

"What day? What're you talking about?" Anita asked.

"The day I have to make a choice."

"A choice?"

River stood up and turned around.

"She told me, my friend …" River sighed, "…so very long ago. Told me I'd need to know two words and the day I needed them I'd have to make a choice. She said she'd be here, but she couldn't help because it was something I had to do on my own."

"If she knew, then why didn't she stop you?"

River fiddled with her sonic. She knew Rose well, knew everything she'd done and if she couldn't stop River from coming to the Library then there was a very good reason for that.

"Probably because whatever this is has to happen. That's the way these things work sometimes. Fixed points and all."

"She doesn't sound like a very good friend to me."

"You don't know her," River snapped. "You don't know anything about her and what she's done for me. She saved me. That's what she does. Her and the Doctor in the TARDIS.

If she didn't stop me then it's because she couldn't, but she's here, like she promised."

"She? She who?" The Doctor asked.

River spun around. The Doctor was standing at the top of the stairs, leaning on the railing. Oh, God, how long had he been there? How much did he hear? He eyed her as he descended.

"Who is she, Professor?" he continued.

He leapt over the edge of the railing.

"A friend," River dismissed.

He crossed the room, stopping in front of her, his eyes boring into hers.

"And does this friend have a name?"

"Spoilers," she said.

He stood there for a moment a battle of wills going on between them, but she couldn't lose hers, couldn't change things.

He continued to stare at her for another moment before he finally glanced at Anita and then crossed the room to check on her. River sighed in relief.

"How're you doing?" he asked.

"Where's Other Dave?" River asked.

"Not coming, sorry."

He was dead too. Whatever that choice was it better show itself soon or none of them would make it out of there alive.

"Well, if they've taken him why haven't they gotten me yet?" Anita asked.

"I don't know. Maybe tinting your visor's making a difference."

"It's making a difference all right. No one's ever going to see my face again."

"Can I get you anything?"

"An old age would be nice. Anything you can do?"

"I'm all over it," he replied turning away.

"Doctor?" she asked, making him turn back. "When we first met you, you didn't trust Professor Song and then she whispered a word in your ear and you did. My life so far. I could do with a word like that. What did she say?" He just stared at her. "Give a dead girl a break. Your secrets are safe with me."

"Safe," he said as if he'd worked something out.

River knew that tone well.

"What?" Anita asked, but he ignored her, walking across the room.

"Safe. You don't say saved. Nobody says saved. You say safe. The data fragment!" He spun around to face Lux. "What did it say?"

"Four thousand and twenty-two people saved. No survivors," Mr. Lux replied.

River stood up, watching him. He was on to something.

"Doctor?" she asked.

"Nobody says saved. Nutters say saved. You say safe. You see, it didn't mean safe. It meant," he grabbed his hair, "It literally meant saved!"

He looked at them as if they should know exactly what he meant, but River had no idea what he was talking about.

**-0-**

Rose couldn't help smiling as she listened to the Doctor prattle on. Not the Doctor she knew now, the old Doctor, the one she thought of as her Doctor, although the new one was also her Doctor, but she missed this one.

He was angry. She heard that in his voice earlier and hurt and she knew what that was from. He was with Donna, traveling with her, and that meant this was her Doctor in the time after he lost her. After the Rift. After her dad saved her only to take her to that parallel world where she'd been trapped for two years.

She wished she could let him know that she was all right. That they'd find each other again, but she couldn't. She had to stay hidden. Let things play out the way they were supposed to. Let whatever was going to happen, happen. She knew what interfering would do, knew from when she went back to be with her dad, but this, this was even more dangerous. If things didn't work out the way they were supposed to the Doctor would die and then everyone he saved after, everything he'd done would undo. So, she listened because that's all she could do.

**-0-**

The computer was a child. Charlotte Abigail Lux. Mr. Lux's grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying and her father built the library and put her living mind inside, to save her. Only, now the computer had gone into auto destruct and the planet would blow up in…

"Auto destruct in ten minutes," the computer warned.

The Doctor raced into another room and up to a computer terminal. River ran after him. He began typing on the keys, but he couldn't get through.

"Easy!" he exclaimed. "We beam all the people out of the data core. The computer will reset and stop the countdown. Difficult. Charlotte doesn't have a lot of memory space left to make the transfer. Easy!" He ran over to the wall and pulled one of the small doors open. They were there to allow access to the computer cables. "I'll hook myself up to the computer. She can borrow my memory space."

What? No! That would kill him! River raced over to him and shook him.

"Difficult. It'll kill you stone dead!"

He tried to shrug her away.

"Yeah, it's easy to criticize."

She held onto his arm emphasizing her point with another shake.

"It'll burn out both your hearts and don't think you'll regenerate."

"I'll try my hardest not to die. Honestly, it's my main thing."

He pulled out his sonic and began working with the wires. If he did what he was planning it would kill him and there'd be no coming back. He couldn't die there. If he did everything that she remembered would be gone, probably even her, probably everyone because he wouldn't be around to do what he needed.

"Doctor!" she insisted.

"I'm right, this works. Shut up!" he snapped. "Now, Listen! You and Luxy boy, back up to the main library. Prime any data cells you can find for maximum download, and before you say anything else, Professor, can I just mention in passing as you're here, shut up."

He was going to do it and there was nothing she could say to stop him, but he couldn't. He didn't die here.

"Oh, I hate you sometimes!"

"I know!"

She turned around and crossed the room toward the doorway.

"Mr. Lux, with me. Anita. If he dies, I'll kill him!"

She led Mr. Lux out the door and back up to the gravity platform. Then up and back to the main library. She was completely furious with the Doctor the entire time. She also knew he was right. It was the only way, but damn him! He couldn't die there, wasn't supposed to die there. After priming the last data cell she turned around to head back.

"Where're you going?" Mr. Lux called.

"Going back to save that idiot. If I can," she snapped, not at all in the mood for him.

"But…you can't just leave me."

"Watch me."

Once she got back to the gravity platform she paused. She knew what the choice was now and she knew why Rose was there, why her friend came with her. So, she didn't have to do this on her own. She sighed. This was it. The place she'd been gravitating towards since the day she was born.

She knew Rose could hear everything through the comm. device. River wished her friend was there in that room with her. Not that Rose was being hunted by Vashta Nerada, but that they could say goodbye properly. In person. Her eyes misted over at the thought that they'd never see each other again. That she'd never see her parents, not that she could see the later versions of them, but she could still pop in and see the earlier ones. That she'd never see the Doctor again, not this one, but the other, the one who was her friend and trusted her enough to send her a TARDIS blue envelope, the one she liked to tease. And then there was him, the only man she ever loved, even if he was a bit of a flirt himself. She'd never see him again.

"I know you're there," she said, speaking to her friend, her best friend, who was standing on board a ship, orbiting the Library. "You don't have to say anything. You know how much I like to get in the last word." She laughed, tinged with a bit of sadness. "Guess it really will be the last word this time, yeah?" She laughed again, with a bit more sadness at the idea. She took a deep breath, pulling herself together. "I want you to know it's all right. I suppose I always knew this was coming. When you meet two people for the first time and they know everything about you, you kind of get the idea that you're life's not going to turn out normal, not that I wanted my life to be normal. It's completely overrated." She wiped a stray tear. "I think you know what my decision is. There's really only one choice and I'd like to say I'm doing it for the universe for everyone he has yet to save, but I think we both know that'd be a lie. I'm doing it for you, for both of you, for everything you've done for me, more than anyone's ever done for me. I was lost when you found me and you gave them back to me. And then you were there again, in my darkest hour, both of you and even after everything you two saved me…again. And now I can pay you back, pay both of you back. I can save him, save both of you. And I know you'll take care of him for me and I'm sure you know which him I'm talking about. Tell him…" she shook her head. "…no, never mind. He already knows. Goodbye."

She stepped onto the Gravity Platform and descended. Then she crossed through the room and entered the one in the back where she'd left the Doctor. Anita's body lay crumpled on the floor. River ran over to her. She was dead, killed by the Vashta Nerada.

"Oh, Anita," she said.

"I'm sorry, she's been dead a while now. I told you to go!" the Doctor yelled.

"Lux can manage without me," River replied. She knew what she had to do. She eyed him, well, his back. "But you can't."

She stood up and crossed the room toward him. When he turned around she punched him, in the jaw, as hard as she could. He went down, hitting a glass wall and was out before he landed. Then she pulled out a pair of handcuffs, something she always made sure she had with her for…well…spoilers. She cuffed him to a pipe and then set to work finishing what he started.

**-0-**

Rose lost it, completely and utterly lost it. After River's speech…she knew that she meant a lot to her friend, but for her to choose to die, not for the universe, but for the Doctor, the Doctor and Rose. She wanted to help her friend, to stop this, stop her from dying and for a moment…a brief moment she thought about trading places with her. It'd be easy to do with the teleporter. Just one little lever and then…a bright flash appeared next to her and he was there. The Doctor, the one who had become her Doctor, more than her Doctor.

"Don't you dare," he said, eyeing her hand on the lever.

"It's not fair," she insisted, gazing at him through the tears in her eyes.

He put his hand over hers and pulled her to him. She wrapped her arms around his chest and buried her face in his shoulder. He held her in his arms and she cried. Cried for her friend who was about to be lost. Cried for Amy and Rory who were also gone now. For everyone she'd lost, everyone they'd lost and would lose. It wasn't fair! It wasn't right!

**-0-**

River was almost finished, just a few more wires to go.

"Auto destruct in two minutes," the computer warned.

The Doctor stirred and then sat up.

"Oh, no, no, no, no! Come on! What're you doing? That's my job," he insisted.

"Oh, and what? Women aren't allowed to have careers, I suppose?" she teased.

"Why am I handcuffed?" he asked, grabbing the cuffs. "Why do you even have handcuffs?"

"That's really between me and my fella, don't you think?"

She gave him a smile as she raised her brow.

"This is not a joke. Stop this now. This is going to kill you! I have a chance. You don't have any!"

Rule one, the Doctor lies.

"You wouldn't have a chance and neither do I!" she yelled.

He gave her a terrified look, terrified for her.

"I'm timing it for the end of the countdown. There'll be a blip in the command flow. That way it should improve our chances of a clean download," she continued.

"River, please, no," he begged.

"Funny thing is, this means you've always known how I was going to die. All the time we've known each other you knew I was coming here," she gave him a smile, trying not to let the despair she felt reach it. "The last time I saw you. The real you. The future you I mean. All three of you showed up on my doorstep. You took us to Darillium to see the Singing Towers." She sighed seeing the memory in her mind's eye. "What a night that was. The towers sang and it was beautiful, but then I saw her," She glanced at him. "she was crying, both of you were crying."

"Auto destruct in one minute."

"I thought it was from the towers, but I guess you knew, you both knew this was coming. That it was time. My time to come to the Library. You even gave me your screwdriver. That should've been a clue."

He glanced down at both screwdrivers lying on the floor. He reached for them, but they were too far away for him to grab what with being handcuffed to the pipe and all.

"There's nothing you can do," she continued.

"You can let me do this," he insisted.

"If you die here it'll mean I've never met either of you."

"Time can be rewritten."

"Not those times. Not one line. Not one minute. Don't you dare. She's done so much for me, both of you have. And I can do this one thing for you, for her."

"River those words you whispered in my ear. Do you know what they mean?" She gave him a knowing smile. "But you said them in my language. The language of the Time Lords. In Gallifreyan. Who taught you that?" Another smile. "Fine then you…you said you're doing this for both of us. What do you mean?"

"Auto destruct in ten…nine…"

"Who is she?" he insisted.

"eight…seven…six…"

"River, please, tell me her name!"

"five…four…three…"

River caught his eye.

"Hush now…Spoilers."

"two…"

River joined the two power cables together and a blinding light took her.

**-0-**

The Doctor leaned against the wall in the room, waiting for Donna. She was out of the computer now, everyone was out, using the teleporters to return to whatever remained of their old lives. Whatever was left after a hundred years of being trapped inside the Library's data core.

Donna was walking around the room looking for the man she'd met in the data core, the man she lived a life with in the short span of time she'd been trapped. He could've joined her, helped, but he decided to wait this one out. There were too many people and he didn't feel like being around anyone. Not after watching River die, for him, for all of them.

Who was she? And who would she be to him? Someone close to him, but how close? She knew the words. Two words he associated with one person, someone he'd lost to a parallel world, ripped away from him, the only woman he loved. But River hadn't given him those words in English, she said them in Gallifreyan and he was the only one who knew the lost language of the Time Lords. Had he given her those words? Or was it someone else, someone so close to him that he would've taught them his language?

She. She who? River had spoken of him and a woman. _Her and the Doctor in the TARDIS. _But it didn't sound like she was talking about a companion. It sounded different…as if…He caught sight of Donna walking toward him.

"Any luck?" he asked.

"There wasn't even anyone called Lee in the Library that day. I suppose he could've had a different name out here, but, let's be honest, he wasn't real, was he?" she inquired.

"Maybe not," he said, turning his attention back to the room as his mind worked through questions, questions he couldn't answer because the answers died with River.

"I made up the perfect man. Gorgeous, adores me, and hardly able to speak a word. What's that say about me?"

"Everything." _Wait. No. What did I just say? _It was the truth, but…um…not what he should've said. "Sorry. Did I say everything? I meant to say nothing. I was aiming for nothing. I accidentally said everything."

He caught her eye. She wasn't angry, like he thought she'd be. That was close. He was too distracted by what he didn't know to focus on watching what he said. Definitely not good.

"What about you? You all right?"

"I'm always all right," he lied.

"Is all right special Time Lord code for really not all right at all?"

He turned to her. She was quick, Donna was always quick, could see through him like someone else, which was why he'd been reluctant to bring her along at first because sometimes she reminded him of Rose, but then they each did, each companion he'd had since he lost her. Donna didn't give him a choice though, had her bags already packed when he ran into her again.

"Why?" he asked.

"Cause I'm all right too," she replied.

He was so far from all right he couldn't even see it on the horizon. He sighed, taking her hand.

"Come on," he said, leading her into the hall, down to a side door, and then outside, down a set of stairs and they were standing near a balcony overlooking the library buildings.

He pulled River's diary from his inside pocket, continued down the last few steps and set it on the balcony. He set his hand on the cover, feeling the TARDIS blue leather. Everything he wanted to know lay within the pages of that book. River's diary. The words. How she knew them. How she knew his language. And the woman. The one she spoke of. _Her and the Doctor in the TARDIS. _The woman's name was inside that book. He could feel it.

"Your friend," Donna said, "Professor Song. She knew you in the future, but she didn't know me. What happens to me? Because when she heard my name…when she looked at me-"

"Donna," he interrupted. "This is her diary." All the answers were inside. Everything he wanted to know. Everything Donna wanted to know. He gazed longingly at it. "My future." He caught Donna's eye. "I could look you up?" All he wanted was a nod. One nod from his companion. Confirmation that although he knew it was wrong, it was dangerous, one little peek wouldn't hurt. Just one. Just a name. That's all he wanted. "What'd you think?" He glanced back at the book. "Shall we peek at the end?"

Donna glanced from him to the diary and then back.

"Spoilers, right?"

She was right. Of course she was right. That didn't mean he still didn't want to, but he trusted Donna and he knew she was right. He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out River's sonic then sat it on her diary. He gazed at them for a moment. His desire to peek inside the book growing. If they didn't leave he knew it would get worse. Best to leave them there, where he couldn't get to them, not after today.

"Come on," he said, turning and walking up the stairs. Donna walked with him. "The next chapter's this way."

"What was that you set on her diary? It looked a bit like your sonic."

"It was my sonic."

"No, I've seen your sonic. It doesn't look like that."

"It way my sonic from the future."

"What?"

"The version of me she knows…knew…a future version of me gave it to her."

"So, sometime in the future you give her your sonic?"

"Exactly."

"But…I mean…why would you do that?"

That's the same question he asked River. He paused. Wait. Why would he give her his sonic? He hadn't given her a different sonic. He gave her his. But why? He turned on the spot and raced back to the balcony.

"Doctor," Donna called running after him.

He ignored his friend as he ran down the stairs. He reached the balcony and grabbed her sonic, lifting it up to examine it.

"Why? Why would I give her my screwdriver? Why would I do that?" He heard Donna come up behind him, but that was background. "Thing is, future me had years to think about it, all those years to think of a way to save her, and what he did was give her a screwdriver. Why would I do that?"

And that's when he noticed it. A small panel on the sonic. He pulled the panel off to reveal a neural relay with two green lights on it. Oh, yes! He did it! Future him.

"Oh! Oh! Oh, look at that! I'm very good!" he exclaimed.

"What have you done?" Donna asked.

He turned around and showed his friend.

"Saved her."

Then he raced up the stairs, down the hall, through the Library, pushing himself to go as fast as he could, faster, because there wasn't much time. Only two lights left. She'd fade if he didn't get there in time.

"Stay with me!" he yelled as he ran. "You can do it! Stay with me!" He jumped a stack of books and continued running. "Come on! You and me! One last run!"

He charged through a door, another room and then he was back at the Gravity Platform. He glanced at the neural relay. Only one light left.

"Sorry, River, short cut," he said, pointing the sonic at the computer to disable the Gravity Platform. Then he dove into the Gravity Well as the last light began to flicker. He reached the bottom and raced to the data core. He reached it as the last light began to die. He plugged the sonic into the core, transferring River's neural energy.

He watched River die, but now, now he could save her. She would still exist, still live, in a sense, inside the Library data core and, like Charlotte, she would have every book in the Library, every story, to choose from. Maybe not the life she wanted, but not a bad life.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	12. Amy

The Doctor fiddled with the buttons and levers on his new console as he waited for Rose to change out of the hospital gown and into her own clothes. It'd been a good twenty minutes or so with no sign of her and his mind began to wonder. There were things he wanted to tell her, needed to tell her. Three words that were seared across his hearts. Three words that he'd kept carefully tucked away. He thought he could keep himself distanced if he kept them tucked away, but he knew now how wrong he'd been. Only, he wasn't sure if he should tell her yet or if he should wait a while. Wait until she was settled.

He was still contemplating when he felt it. Something…something changed. Something was different. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Something…something in his past. Memories, but different memories. New ones that hadn't been there before. New ones that had to do with the Library and…River.

His past…his past was changing, but why? How? He sifted through the first set. The original set. River in the Library whispering his name in his ear. To get him to trust her. River talking about his future self and how his past self didn't measure up. How his future self could open the TARDIS by snapping his fingers. River hooking the cables up to sacrifice herself for him, for all of them while he watched helplessly because she'd handcuffed him to a pipe. Then she told him about their final day together and how he cried because he knew she was coming to the Library.

Then he sifted through the new memories. River whispering two words, _Bad Wolf_, in his language to get him to trust her and it'd worked because those words reminded him of the one person he would do anything for and the fact that River said the words in Gallifreyan told him that she couldn't have gotten them from just anyone. It was either him or someone he trusted above all others. Then he walked in on her talking about a woman. _Her and the Doctor in the TARDIS. _River's friend. She still sacrificed herself, but not just for him. For him and her friend. Rose. She'd been talking about Rose. _She was crying, both of you were crying. _

His past had changed. His connection to River changed. They were still connected, but not in the same way. Now, they were connected through Rose. The only reason he could still see what originally took place was because he was a Time Lord, otherwise he wouldn't even know it happened. But it had. Why? And then he knew. Rose. Rose changed his past, having her with him changed his past, which meant originally she wasn't there.

Someone changed things. Had he done it himself? Possibly, but the only reason he would do that would be if something grave happened or was about to happen. Something so bad he'd risk changing things, risk not being where he was supposed to be to keep it from happening. Another option was that someone else changed things to try to keep him from reaching a certain point.

If Rose wasn't supposed to be with him where was she supposed to be? With whoever took her, whoever was keeping her in that hospital? Unless that was the person who changed things. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind. It didn't matter. He had her back and if that meant a few things changed then so be it. He couldn't give her up again. Never again.

"All right there?" Rose asked.

Her voice brought him out of his thoughts and he looked up as she entered the control room. She wore a dark blue tank top and jeans, both were…a bit tighter than ones she used to wear. He tried, unsuccessfully, not to think about that as she walked across the room toward him. She was smiling and he returned her smile.

"Um…" he said, trying not to stare at the curve of her hips. "Yes. Fine. Just fine and you. Are you…all right?"

He knew he was babbling like an idiot, but he couldn't stop. He tore his eyes from her and glanced at the console so he could think because the sight of her dressed like that scattered all of his thought, all but a few and those he couldn't say, really couldn't say.

"Much better now that I'm not wearing that hospital gown," she replied.

She definitely looked much better, not that she hadn't looked good…fine, yes, fine, before, but now…She was standing next to him, leaning on the console and looking at him. He gave her a sideways glance.

"So,-" he began.

"So, no leather this time?" she interrupted.

Oh, clothes, his clothes, that's what she was looking at.

"Afraid not," he replied.

"Well, let me get a look," she said, grabbing his lapels and turning him around, which meant he was facing her.

He tried to focus on her eyes. Hazel. Only his eyes didn't want to listen, they kept trying to gaze over the rest of her. He closed them, but that proved to be a problem too because now he was focused on her hands, which were still holding his lapels and resting against his chest.

"Tweed jacket, bracers." She snapped one.

"Oi!" he yelled as his eyes popped open. He rubbed his chest. "That hurts."

She laughed.

"Don't be such a girl."

"I am not-"

"Hold still," she ordered. "Not everyone could pull this outfit off, but…" She stepped back and gave him a once over. "…it sort of works for you."

"Of course it works for me I'm-"

Then she stepped very, very close and for a moment he couldn't breathe. She leaned against him, straightening his bowtie.

"I kind of like the bowtie. Reminds me of that uniform you wore back on that parallel world."

He hadn't thought about that in a long time.

"Bowties are cool," he replied, re-straightening it after she stepped back. She gave him that cheeky grin, which was really not good, what with her being that close and all and him being…well, not entirely the same man he was before. One that just might…"So," he said, focusing on the console. "Do you know where you want to go?"

"I know exactly where I want to go."

"Where's that then?"

"To pick up Amy."

He looked at her.

"Amy?" he asked in surprise.

"She's been waiting for twelve years. Don't you think she's waited long enough?" she inquired, giving him that teasing look.

He smiled, and that's exactly why he loved her, because she was so…her.

"Rose Tyler, you're brilliant!"

"I've been told," she teased giving him that cheeky grin again.

"To Amy then," he said, grabbing a lever and flipping it.

The Time Rotor started up.

"To Amy," Rose agreed, grabbing the console and laughing as the TARDIS launched into the Time Vortex.

**-0-**

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS after landing in Amy's backyard. Rose was still inside, getting Amy's room sorted. He tried to tell her Amy didn't need a room because it was only going to be one trip, but she gave him that teasing smile and replied, _There are two things that I know of that don't exist. A version of Jack who doesn't flirt with everyone he crosses paths with and one trip with the Doctor. _He was going to ask her to explain that whole Jack business, but she disappeared down the corridor before he could. He made a mental note to get into that later.

A door slammed, startling him. The Doctor turned around to find Amy staring at him from the small porch. She looked surprised, but it was dark so it'd obviously been a few hours since he left.

"Sorry about running off earlier. Had something to do and it couldn't wait."

Amy raced across the yard toward him. She paused a few feet away staring at him.

"It's you. You came back."

Why was she so surprised? He came back before. Of course he had been twelve years late, but, he glanced over her, hadn't been twelve years this time.

"Course I came back," he replied as she closed the distance between them. "I always come back. Something wrong with that?"

"And you kept the clothes?"

He glanced down at his outfit and then back to her.

"Well, I did just save the world. The whole planet, for about the millionth time, no charge. Yeah, shoot me. I kept the clothes."

"Including the bowtie," she pointed out.

"Yeah, it's cool, bowties are cool," he replied, straightening it.

She drew her brows together.

"Are you from another planet?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"So, what do you think?"

"Of what?"

"Other planets. Want to check some out?"

She leaned forward, a look of disbelief in her eyes.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

Little Amelia Pond, who wasn't little anymore. Rose was right. This was where he needed to be.

"It means. Well, it means, come with me," he offered.

"Where?"

"Wherever you like."

He glanced from the TARDIS to her, giving Amy a smile. She gazed from him to the TARDIS in disbelief.

"All that stuff that happened." She looked at him. "The hospital, the spaceships, Prisoner Zero."

"Oh, don't worry," he dismissed with a shake of his head. "That's just the beginning. There's loads more."

"Yeah, but those things. Those amazing things. All that stuff." She stepped closer giving him an accusing look. "That was two years ago."

"Oh," What? He shifted uncomfortably. That was really not good. "Oops."

"Yeah."

Two years?

"So that's-"

Rose wasn't going to be happy. He might never hear the end of this one.

"Fourteen years!"

"Fourteen years since fish custard. Amy Pond. The girl who waited. You've waited long enough."

She swallowed and then glanced over the TARDIS again.

"When I was a kid you said there was a swimming pool and a library and you said that the swimming pool was in the library."

"Yeah, not sure where it's got to now, but it'll turn up. So. Coming?"

"No."

Wait. What? No, she wasn't turning him down she was afraid and a bit overwhelmed.

"You wanted to come fourteen years ago," he pointed out.

"I grew up," she replied.

"Don't worry. I'll soon fix that."

He raised his arm, remembering what River told him in his original trip to the Library, and he snapped his fingers. The TARDIS doors opened. Amy gazed inside and then to him. He smiled. She laughed in amazement and then looked through the door again. Then she stepped inside, slowly. He followed her through the door and passed her walking up to the console.

He glanced over his shoulder at her. She was staring around the TARDIS in amazement and disbelief.

"Well? Anything you want to say? Any passing remarks? I've heard them all," he said then walked to the console.

"I.." she gazed around the room again. "I'm in my nightie."

"Oh, don't worry. Plenty of clothes in the wardrobe and possibly a swimming pool." He stepped next to the console. "So, all of time and space. Everything that ever happened or ever will. Where do you want to start?"

"You are so sure that I'm coming," she said, joining him near the console.

"Yeah, I am," he replied, eyeing her as he stepped past.

"Why?"

"Cause you're the Scottish girl in the English village and I know how that feels."

"Oh, do you?"

"All these years living here, most of your life," He turned a few dials and then glanced at her, "and you've still got that accent. Yeah, you're coming."

Wait. A bell? He rang the bell. He couldn't help it.

"Can you get me back for tomorrow morning?"

He caught her eye from the other side of the console.

"It's a time machine. I can get you back for five minutes ago. Why? What's tomorrow?"

"Nothing." She shrugged. "Nothing, just, you know, stuff."

He looked at her, trying to work out what the _stuff _was, but she was gazing at the console.

"All right then. Back in time for stuff," he agreed.

The console made a sound, drawing his attention. He looked down to find a new sonic screwdriver. He picked it up.

"Oh, a new one." He pointed it and held down the button. "Lovely." Then he slid it into his pocket. "Thanks dear."

He fiddled with more levers and buttons.

"Why me?" Amy asked, suddenly.

He looked at her.

"Why not?" he asked, giving her a smile.

"No, seriously. You are asking me to run away with you in the middle of the night. It's a fair question. Why me?"

"I don't know. Fun. Do I have to have a reason?"

There was a reason of course, but he couldn't tell her that. Not yet. Not until he worked out what that crack was and if, in fact, there were others as Prisoner Zero suggested. Then there was her house. Far too big for one little girl.

"People always have a reason," she accused.

He looked up, catching her eye.

"Do I look like people?" he asked, giving her another smile.

"Yes."

"He always has a reason. He just doesn't always share it," Rose said.

He looked over at her as she entered the control room. He couldn't help smiling every time he saw her. She was there, actually there with him.

"Who's that?" Amy asked, a bit confused and…something else.

Rose crossed the room toward her, giving the girl a smile.

"Rose Tyler," she said, offering her hand. "You must be Amy."

"Um…yeah," the girl said, still confused, but shaking Rose's hand. "Who're you?"

"I'm," Rose glanced at the Doctor and then back at Amy, "his friend."

"Friend?" Amy shot the Doctor with an accusing glance. "You didn't have a friend before."

"Actually, we've known each other for a long time. I used to travel with him, but I…" she glanced at the Doctor again. "I stayed behind. Got in a bit of trouble though and he showed up to help me out."

She stayed behind? Why was she taking the blame for that? Then he glanced at Amy and realized why. Probably wouldn't do to tell Amy that he was the one who left Rose behind, not with everything being so new.

"What kind of trouble?" Amy asked.

"The usual kind. She's a bit jeopardy friendly," the Doctor teased.

Amy eyed him, her brows drawing together as she tried to work out what he meant.

"Jeopardy…what?"

"She has a knack for finding trouble."

"I don't find trouble, Doctor," Rose insisted, but she was smiling.

"I beg to differ," he said, giving her a smile.

"Just friends?" Amy asked, raising her eyebrows.

_For now. _The Doctor glanced at Rose at the same time she looked at him. Her smile turned a bit cheeky and then she returned to Amy.

"If you don't come with us I'm going to be stuck with just his company," Rose said.

Wait.

"What do you mean by that?" the Doctor asked, glancing at Rose from the other side of the console, but she ignored him.

Amy still looked indecisive.

"Have you heard him prattle on yet?" She mimed chatting. "Blimey, it's enough to give you a headache."

Amy laughed.

"I do not prattle on," he insisted, glancing from one to the other as he remembered what happened when Rose met Sarah Jane. Oh, this might be really not good.

"Oh, Come on," Rose begged, taking Amy's hand.

"Okay," she agreed.

She released Amy's hand as the girl gazed around the control room.

"So, what do you think?" Rose asked, looking around herself.

"It's…I don't know…it's…"

She still looked pretty overwhelmed. The Doctor crossed the room toward them.

"Are you okay? Because sometimes this place can make people feel a bit…you know…" he asked.

"I'm fine, fine, it's just…There's a whole world in here just like you said. It's all true. I thought, well, I started to think that maybe you were just like a mad man with a box," Amy said.

"Amy Pond there's one thing you better understand about me because it's important and one day your life may depend on it." Amy looked at him, as if the next words out of his mouth were the difference between life and death. "I am definitely a mad man with a box." She smiled. "Ha ha! Yeah." He glanced at Rose who was also giving him a smile, though a bit different. Then he turned around and raced over to the console.

Amy and Rose laughed, joining him, one on either side.

"Goodbye Leadworth." He glanced at Rose as he grabbed the lever to start the Time Rotor. "Hello, everything." He flipped the lever and they all laughed, grabbing the console as the TARDIS dematerialized, launching into the Time Vortex.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	13. Pay Him Back

If the Doctor thought he was going to take her and live happily ever after he best think again because she was valuable, far too valuable for John to simply let her go. He would have her back.

Locating the TARDIS would be difficult, not impossible, but difficult. He couldn't do it alone and the team he put together, that included a few choice enemies of the Doctor he could manipulate, wasn't nearly large enough for the task. He needed eyes everywhere, people who would contact him the moment they spotted the TARDIS, which meant he needed a reason. A reason for them to give him their loyalty.

All of the Doctor's enemies had one thing in common, whether they were Cybermen or Sontarans. They all hated the Doctor, but could he use that to bind them together? They'd all fought him and lost, but that wasn't enough for them to overlook their differences. What he needed was an incident. Something that would threaten all of them, something to do with the Doctor and he knew what that something was. He'd been planning it as a way to destroy the Time Lord, not kill him, but destroy him. Destroy his heart. It would do.

He stood up and walked around his desk. Then he typed the coordinates into the vortex manipulator he'd gotten off a Time Agent who had been less than willing to hand it over, but he finally parted with it. Of course, he'd been dead at the time, but John didn't need him alive. He was unimportant. He hit the button and his office vanished. A moment later he found himself standing in another office. A woman with dark, curly hair shot up from her own desk, startled by his sudden appearance.

"How did you get in here?" she demanded.

"Vortex manipulator," he replied, showing off the device.

"You've made the biggest mistake of your life," she snapped, reaching down toward her desk. Probably to press a button to summon her security detail.

He couldn't have that. He pulled the gun from his waistband and pointed it at her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

She straightened, but her eyes darted to the desk and then back to him.

"Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Yes, I know exactly who you are."

"Is that why you're here? Is this some kind of ransom because if it is then know this, when this is over I'll hunt you to the end of the universe and I will kill you."

He laughed.

"You see, I knew I chose you for a reason."

"Chose me for what?"

"I'm not here to hold you for ransom, Ms. Halpen. I've come to offer you a deal."

"How do you know my name?"

"Wasn't too difficult to find out."

"Everything from my past was destroyed. I made sure. If anyone found out…" she eyed him. "Is it blackmail then?"

"As I said I'm here to offer you a deal."

She watched him distrustfully for a moment.

"What kind of deal?" she asked.

"How would you like to pay the Doctor back for everything he's done for you?"

She scoffed.

"Everything he's done for me? He destroyed my father's business! He stood by while they turned him into one of those…those things! He's the reason I had to change my name, start over with what scraps I had left."

"Exactly," John said, giving her a wicked grin. "How would you like to pay him back for that?"

She leaned on her desk, eyeing him.

"I've been waiting for twenty years to do just that."

"Well, then, Ms. Halpen, I think I can help, because I have a plan."

"To kill him?"

"No, that would be far too easy, for him, if my plan's successful we'll be rid of him for good and he'll suffer for all eternity." She returned his smile. "What do you say?"

"I say…where do I sign up?"

Oh, yes, this was going to be brilliant!

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	14. The Beast Below Part 1

Okay my lovely peeps, these episodes when written out and, well, a bit long so I'm putting them up in parts. There will be some switching between views, just so you know. :)

Adding Rose in is...well, not entirely easy. So, hopefully it comes out well.

* * *

Rose smiled as she watched the Doctor and Amy. He was holding her out the TARDIS doors as they floated through space. This regeneration was more of a kid than the last one had been. Not that she minded.

He kept glancing back at her every once in a while and she knew he was wondering why she wasn't joining in, but she was giving them time together. Giving Amy time with her imaginary friend. Plus, she knew that he enjoyed the excitement and wonder other people felt.

As she watched them that nagging feeling returned. She'd felt it off and on since she woke aboard the TARDIS. It made her feel as if she'd forgotten something, like leaving her flat and then thinking she might've left a burner on. Only, no matter how much she tried she couldn't remember what she forgot.

"Come on Pond," the Doctor said, drawing Rose out of her thoughts.

He pulled Amy back inside. She was laughing, making Rose smile.

"Now do you believe me?" he asked.

"Okay, your box is a space ship. It's really, really a space ship," Amy said in amazement. "We are in space!" she yelled out the doors. Then she paused. "What're we breathing?"

"I've extended the air shell," he said, leaning out the doors. "We're fine."

He glanced down. He seemed to have noticed something because he crouched down quickly. Rose crossed the room toward them wondering what he was looking at. Amy crouched down next to him.

"Now that's interesting," he said.

"What is?" Rose asked, setting her hand on his shoulder while she leaned over him to find out what it was.

A city! An entire city floating in space! He shifted and she stepped back, but he caught her hand and held it as he stood up and raced over to the console, dragging her along with him. She couldn't help smiling because he was acting so much like the Doctor she remembered.

"Twenty ninth century," he said as he pulled her along. "Solar flares roast the Earth," he stopped at the console and released her hand as he began fiddling with some of the buttons and levers, "and the entire human race packs its bags and moves out till the weather improves. Whole nations."

He gave Rose a smile and she knew she was smiling like an idiot. Truth be told she'd been a bit worried that he would be different and he was, but he was also the same. Still her Doctor.

"Doctor!" Amy called, sounding a bit muffled.

Rose glanced around the control room.

"Migrating to the stars," he continued.

"Doctor!" Amy called again.

She wasn't in the control room.

"Isn't it amazing!" he went on.

Rose glanced at the closed doors.

"Doctor!" Amy yelled and she realized where the girl was.

"Doctor! Amy's still outside!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry?" the Doctor asked, stopping his speech as he looked at her, as if he wasn't sure what she was talking about.

"The doors shut and Amy's still outside," Rose said, grabbing his hand and pulling him across the room.

"What's she doing out there?"

She laughed. Yes, he was definitely still the Doctor.

"Probably clinging to the door."

"No, I mean…oh, never mind," he said, opening the doors. And there she was, clinging to the top of the doorframe looking very scared. "Well, come on. I've found us a spaceship." He reached out and pulled her inside.

"Are you all right?" Rose asked, putting a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Yeah," Amy said, still breathing a bit hard from her fright. "I…I think so."

"Well, come on you two. I've brought up a picture," the Doctor called from the console.

Rose joined him with Amy following, still looking a bit out of sorts, but she was coming round.

"This is the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland," he explained as they watched the image. "All of it bolted together and floating in the sky. Starship UK. It's Britain, but metal. That's not just a ship. That's an idea. That's a whole country living, and laughing, and shopping. Searching the stars for a new home."

"Can we go out and see?" Amy asked, all excited.

"Yeah, can we?" Rose asked, her own excitement barely held in check.

The only place she'd been in a little over two years was aboard the Crucible and that had been one of the worst days of her life. She wanted to get back into the traveling and seeing new things as soon as possible and a city floating in space was a good place to start.

"Course we can," he said, glancing from her to Amy. "But first there's a thing."

"A thing?"Amy asked.

"What sort of thing?" Rose inquired.

She followed him to the console. Amy walked up next to her.

"An important thing for Amy to know. In fact," he picked up a magnifying glass and gazed at the girl through it. Where did he get that? "thing one. We are observers only. That's the one rule I've always stuck to in all my travels." What? That was soooo not true. He always got involved. Rose smiled because he was acting all serious. "I never get involved in the affairs of other peoples or planets."

And that was it, she started laughing.

"What?" he asked eyeing her.

"You never get involved?" she laughed. "You?"

She practically doubled over laughing so hard.

"Oh, shut up," he snapped, but she could hear the teasing lilt in his voice, the same one that was in hers when she said it to him. He glanced at the monitor. "Ooo, that's interesting." He flipped a few small levers.

Rose's laughter died down as she caught sight of the little girl on the monitor. She was crying.

"So, he does get involved then?" Amy asked.

"Well, it's not like he intends to, but if someone's in trouble…" Rose trailed off as the Doctor appeared on the monitor with the little girl. He was talking to her or trying to, but she ran away.

"Hang on. Didn't he just say he didn't get involved?" Amy asked.

Rose gave her a smile.

"What'd I tell you?"

The Doctor turned, facing the camera and motioned for them to come out. She glanced at Amy and they shared a smile before heading across the room. When she reached the door Rose opened it and looked at her.

"This is your first," she said.

"My what?" Amy asked.

"I've traveled with the Doctor before, but this is your first trip so you ought to be the first one of us to step out the door. That's not just a spaceship out there it's a future spaceship. So, go on."

Amy gave her an excited smile and then stepped out the door. Rose followed, but almost ran into her when she stopped, looking around in amazement.

"I'm in the future," Amy said.

Rose could see the Doctor standing a few feet away. She gave him a smile that he returned.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" Rose asked.

"Like hundreds of years in the future." Amy gazed around at everything and everyone as she walked toward him. Rose followed, with her smile still in place. Amy stopped and eyed the Doctor. "I've been dead for centuries."

"Oh, lovely," he said, stepping toward Amy and catching her eye. "You're a cheery one." Rose giggled. He glanced at her, giving her a half smile and then took Amy's arm and turned around. "Never mind dead." He led Amy down the road…if road was the right way to describe a street in a city on a ship floating in space. Rose kept pace, walking next to him. "Look at this place. Isn't it wrong?" he asked, excitedly.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked, as if something might jump out and bite her.

Rose looked around. This version of the Doctor seemed to be quicker at picking up on things than the last two. She couldn't really see anything out of place, well, there were some machines with creepy plastic figures inside them. They reminded her of those store mannequins. She shivered. There was something though.

"Come on. Use your eyes. Notice everything. What's wrong with this picture?"

A feeling. That's what it was. A feeling that told her something was off.

"Is it the bicycles?" Amy asked, pointing at one and turning around as someone rode past. "Bit unusual on a spaceship, bicycles."

"Says the girl in the nightie."

"Oh, my God, I'm in my nightie."

Amy glanced down at her clothes. Rose laughed, drawing her attention.

"You look fine," she said.

"Now come on, look around you, actually look," the Doctor said, pausing.

And that's when Rose realized what it was. A feeling that should be there, but wasn't.

"It feels like we're standing still," she said.

She'd been on ships before and on all of them, even in the TARDIS, when they were moving she could feel it, but this ship didn't feel like it was moving. There was no rumbling below her feet that told her the engines were working.

The Doctor took her hand and gave it a squeeze as he eyed her, giving her that smile that told her he thought she was clever, making her grin like an idiot, but she didn't care. Then he turned back to Amy, trying to get her to see what he saw.

"London Market is a crime free zone," a voice called over the speakers.

"Life on a giant starship. Back to basics. Bicycles, washing lines, wind-up street lamps. But look closer, secrets and shadows, lives led in fear. Society bent out of shape, on the brink of collapse. A police state. Excuse me."

He ran over to a table with a couple sitting at it. He picked up one of the glasses of water, sat it on the floor, and crouched down, watching it for a moment. The water was still, which, Rose knew, was something that shouldn't happen, but there it was.

"What're you doing?" the man at the table asked.

The Doctor glanced from the woman at the table to him.

"Sorry." He sat the glass back on the table. "Checking all the water in this area." He stood up, eyeing the couple. "There's an escaped fish." Rose laughed. And escaped fish? Seriously? He spun around, giving her a confused look. She just shook her head. He was completely mental. "Where was I?" he asked.

"Why did you just do that with the water?" Amy asked.

"Don't know. I think a lot. It's hard to keep track. Now, police state. Do you see it yet?"

He was so full of it. He knew exactly what he was doing, he always did…unless he didn't, but he usually made something up.

"Where?" Amy asked.

"There," he said, snapping his fingers and pointing at the little girl.

"The little girl?" Rose asked. The girl was sitting alone on a bench crying. People passed her by without even glancing at her. "What's wrong with everyone? Why hasn't anyone helped her?"

"Exactly," the Doctor replied walking toward the bench. Rose followed, close behind.

**-0-**

Rose followed the Doctor over to the bench Amy was sitting on. He sat next to the girl and she sat down on his other side. She tried talking to the little girl, but she got up and moved again. The Doctor thought there might be rules against that sort of thing so Rose didn't try again, although she wanted to. She didn't like standing by while a child was hurting. It wasn't who she was, but she didn't want to get the little girl in trouble. So, they went with the Doctor's plan, which worked, after a few attempts.

"One little girl crying. So?" Amy asked.

"Crying silently. I mean, children cry because they want attention, because they're hurt or afraid. But when children cry silently, it's because they just can't stop. Any parent knows that."

"Are you a parent?"

_Was. _He was a parent. She remembered the first time she found it, back when they helped another little girl. He didn't elaborate, but knowing what happened to his people she put it together. His family, his children, were gone. All of them. Everyone. He stared at Amy for a moment. Rose reached over and took his hand. He glanced at her. She tried to tell him with her eyes that she was there, that he wasn't alone. He turned back to Amy.

"Hundreds of parents walking past who spot her and not one of them's asking her what's wrong, which means they already know," he continued, "and it's something they don't talk about. Secrets. They're not helping her, so it's something they're afraid of, it's nowhere to be seen, which means it's everywhere. Police state."

Oh, he was more than clever.

"Where'd she go?" Amy asked, sitting up.

Rose glanced around the area. The little girl was gone.

"Deck two oh seven. Apple Sesame Block, dwelling 54A." Amy eyed him, confused. "You're looking for Mandy Tanner. Oh, uh," He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a colorful wallet. "this fell out of her pocket when I…" He handed Amy the little girl's wallet. "…accidentally bumped into her."

"Took him four goes, and that was with my help," Rose said, grinning.

"Could've done it on my own," he sniffed, a bit indignantly, making her laugh. He eyed her. "What?"

"You," she said, bumping his shoulder.

His eyes softened and he smile, then he turned back to Amy.

"Ask her about those things. The smiling fellows in the booths. They're everywhere."

Rose glanced at one of those smiling figures and shivered. She didn't like them, not one bit.

"But they're just things," Amy said.

"They're clean. Everything else here is all battered and filthy. Look at this place. But no one's laid a finger on those booths. Not a footprint within two feet of them. Look, ask Mandy, why are people scared of the things in the booths."

He was right. Why hadn't she seen it? They were the cleanest things on the ship. He was definitely more than clever.

"No, hang on, what do I do? I don't know what I'm doing here and I'm not even dressed," Amy protested

"It's this or Leadworth. What do you think?" He eyed Rose. "Let's see. What will Amy Pond choose?" He turned back to Amy. She looked from him to Rose and then sat back, resigned. He smiled. "Ha, ha, gotcha!" He looked at his watch. Wait. Did he have a watch before? "Meet us back here in half an hour."

"I could go with her," Rose suggested.

"Nope, I need your help," he insisted.

"What're you two going to do?" Amy asked in an, _I'm not really happy that you roped me into this _voice.

"What we always do," he replied, mocking her voice and then he stood up. Rose got to her feet. "She tries to stay out of trouble. Badly," he began, nodding in her direction.

"And he gets me out of it in the last minute," Rose finished, grinning as she took his hand.

He turned around and started walking away, taking her with him.

"So, how's this work Doctor?" Amy called. They turned around. "You never interfere in the affairs of peoples or planets unless there's children crying?"

"Yes," he replied, smiling.

Amy returned his smile and then turned around and walked toward the lifts.

"Come on then," he said, giving Rose's hand a squeeze before turning back. "Rose Tyler." He gave her a smile.

"Where are we off to then?" she asked, grinning at him.

"To find the truth," he replied, hurrying down the road with his hand in hers. Yep, he was definitely still the same.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	15. The Beast Below Part 2

The Doctor climbed down the ladder, his eyes kept wondering up to the woman climbing down above him…well, parts of her, which was really not good because then his mind filled with other thoughts. Thoughts of him and her and…he stopped climbing. She glanced down at him.

"Doctor, what're you doing?" she asked.

"Just enjoying the…" _view, _he'd been about to say, but stopped himself, shaking his head. Really not good.

"The what?"

"Nothing, never mind," he said focusing his attention on the ground as he climbed the rest of the way down.

He reached the bottom and waited for her, taking her hand to help her off the ladder. Then she slapped his arm.

"Oi, what was that for?" he asked, in surprise.

"Cheeky," she shot, but there was that smile, the one she reserved only for him and he smiled back. "So," she looked around drawing his attention from her, "dark passageway? What're we doing here?"

"Cables," he replied, racing over to a group of control boxes on the wall.

"Just remember who brought us here if anything dangerous happens to step out of the dark," she teased, joining him.

He turned around, giving her a smile.

"Of course I'll remember, but I'll still blame you and that whole jeopardy friendly business," he replied, touching the tip of her nose.

Her eyes darkened for a moment and he thought he caught a hint of fear flicker through them. He caught her gaze, concerned, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

He wasn't sure what it was, but there was something, something that frightened her and he didn't like that look, not one bit.

"I don't know it's…" she trailed off and her eyes cleared. "It's nothing." She shook her head. He continued to gaze into her eyes. No, there was something. Was she remembering what happened? Possibly. "It's fine. Really." She gave him a smile. Well, whatever it was, was gone or she was hiding it. He didn't like that idea. "So, cables?" she asked.

Yes, cables. He forgot. He gave her one last look and then turned around, eyeing the wall. He rested his hand against it. Feeling for any vibrations and there weren't any present.

"We're on a ship, traveling through space," he said, putting his other hand against the wall. Nope, nothing, no vibrations. "So," he leaned his cheek against it, listening. Still nothing. "Why aren't there any vibrations? No, engine sounds, no vibrations, nothing. It doesn't make any sense. I mean," he leaned back, pulling his sonic out, "it can't be."

He pointed his sonic at the wall and scanned it. Then he looked at the reading. Nothing.

"Doctor?" Rose called. He spun around. She was looking at something on the floor, not too far from them. "Why's there a glass of water on the floor? It wasn't there before."

He gave her a smile. Why indeed? He walked over to the glass, laid down, and watched it. Nothing. No movement, but it should do. There should be vibrations, vibrations from the engines and those vibrations should be moving the water, but the water was still because those vibrations weren't present. It didn't make any sense. Rose bent down next to him, also looking at the water.

"We're moving, but we shouldn't be," he said.

"The impossible truth," a woman said. He glanced up.

A woman in a red hooded cloak stood in front of them. She wore a porcelain mask over her face.

"In a glass of water," she continued. He took Rose's hand, standing up and pulling her with him. "Not many people see it." He eyed the woman, not entirely sure who she was or what she wanted. He shifted Rose a bit behind him, just a bit, just in case. "But you two see it don't you, Doctor?" The woman shifted her gaze from him to his…friend? Was that the right word? It would do for now. "Rose?" Hang on. Rose? Knowing his name wasn't unusual, but how did she know Rose's name?

He looked into the woman's eyes, releasing Rose's hand as he circled her.

"You know us?" he asked.

"Keep your voice down," the woman hissed. He stepped in front of her, putting himself between her and Rose. How did this woman know her? Who was she? "They're everywhere. Tell me what you see in the glass."

He leaned in, holding her gaze.

"Who says we see anything?" he inquired.

"Don't waste time. At the market you placed a glass of water on the floor, looked at it, then came straight here to the engine room. Why?"

She didn't appear to be a threat…at least, not yet. Merely curios, seeking answers like they were, but still…the fact that she knew Rose's name gave him pause.

"No engine vibration on deck. Ship this size, engine this big, you'd feel it. The water would move. So, I thought I'd take a look." He turned around, walking over to the control boxes. He opened the first control box. The cables weren't connected. "It doesn't make sense. These power couplings," He shut that box and opened the next one. "they're not connected." He grabbed each end and showed them. "Look. Look, they're dummies. See?"

"But how can that be?" Rose asked.

"Exactly," he said racing to the wall behind him and knocking on it. "And behind this wall…nothing. It's hallow." He rapped on it. "If I didn't know better I'd say there was-"

"No engine at all," Rose said at the same time he did.

He gave her a smile. She was clever, figured it out not long after they arrived.

"But it's working. This ship is traveling through space. I saw it," Rose pointed out.

"The impossible truth, Rose. We're traveling among the stars in a spaceship that could never fly."

The Doctor glanced from the woman to Rose. _How did she know his friend's name? _It was a bit…unsettling. He pushed the feeling aside and focused on the woman and the problem at hand.

"How?" he asked.

"I don't know. There's a darkness at the heart of this nation. It threatens every one of us. Help us, please. You, two are our only hope. You're friend is safe. This will take you to her." She was talking about Amy, had to be. She handed him a tracking device. "Now go, quickly!" she insisted.

Then she backed up, turning to leave.

"Who are you?" he called. She paused. "And how do we find you again?"

She turned around.

"I am Liz Ten and I will find you."

The lights began to flicker as a loud rumbling filled the passageway.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"I don't know," he replied, gazing around the passage.

He glanced back to where the woman had been, but she was gone. How did she know Rose? And why, why would she know her?

"Liz Ten…bit strange," Rose said.

"Her name's not all that's strange," he replied, lifting the tracking device and looking at the reading.

"And my name. How did she know my name?"

"Exactly. Well," he turned, catching the confused look in her eyes, but instead of elaborating, he took her hand and led her down the passage. "Best find Amy before she gets herself in too much trouble."

He knew Rose had questions. He did as well, but what he didn't have were answers.

**-0-**

The Doctor led Rose around a corner, glancing at the tracking device. Amy was close. He looked up and caught sight of Mandy. She was sitting on a bench across from a closed door.

"Hi," Rose said, giving the little girl a smile.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is Rose," he greeted.

"Hi," Mandy replied. "You're friend's inside."

"Yes," he said, sliding the device into his pocket as he opened the door and stepped inside.

Amy was standing in front of a group of monitors. There was an image of her on one of them and it looked like she'd been crying.

"Amy?" he asked.

She glanced at him, but he was watching her image on the screen.

"You've got to find the Doctor," the Amy image adamantly insisted.

She was upset. Amy pushed a button and the image vanished. Something happened. She'd done something, but he wasn't sure what that something was.

"What have you done?" he asked.

"Doctor," Rose chastised, shooting him a glare as she walked over to Amy. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I think so…it's just…I don't know. I don't remember anything."

She gave Amy a hug.

"You're fine now."

"You don't remember?" he asked after Rose released her.

"No, I mean, I remember waking up here and then the computer or whatever it was said it was going to play a video and that I could choose what I wanted to do." She gestured at the buttons in front of the monitor. Three buttons, Protest, Record, and Forget. "And then I was just standing here and you two walked through the door."

Rose turned to the Doctor.

"What happened?" she asked.

He pulled out his sonic as he stepped up on the chair, then scanned a device in the ceiling that looked a bit like a lamp. Then glanced at the readings. Ah, well, that made sense.

"Yeah, your basic memory wipe job. Must have erased about twenty minutes," he explained.

"But why would I choose to forget?" Amy asked.

"Because everyone does," Mandy said from the doorway. "Everyone chooses the forget button."

Everyone? The Doctor crossed the room toward her, bending down, clasping his hands behind his back as he looked in her eyes.

"Did you?"

"I'm not eligible to vote yet. I'm twelve. Anytime after you're sixteen you're allowed to see the film and make your choice. And then once every five years."

"And once every five years everyone chooses to forget what they've learned. Democracy in action," he replied, giving her a smile as he stood up and turned around.

He crossed the room back to the monitors and began fiddling with them, trying to get them to replay their message. The answers were on that message and if Amy chose to forget then the answers were really not good.

"How do you not know about this? Are you Scottish too?" Mandy asked.

"Oh, I'm way worse than Scottish," he said, glancing at her and then back to the monitors. "I can't even see the movie." He fiddled a bit more before remembering that there was someone else in the room the message would play for. "Won't play for me, but," Rose was standing next to him. He took her arm and pulled her over in front of the monitors, "should do for you."

"What're you doing?" Rose asked.

"Getting a look at that message," he said.

"It played for me," Amy pointed out. "Why won't it play for you?"

"The difference being, the computer doesn't accept me as human," he replied, offhandedly. It wasn't playing. Why wasn't it playing? It should play automatically, shouldn't it? "Is there a button you have to press?"

"I don't see anything," Rose replied, glancing over the monitors.

"No, it just started up on its own," Amy replied, then eyed him. "But, hang on, you look human."

He glanced at her.

"No, you look Time Lord. We came first." He took a couple steps back wondering if his presence was interfering with it. "Why isn't it playing?"

He pulled his sonic and scanned it.

"Maybe because of what happened," Rose suggested. "That whole Canary Wharf incident."

Yes, there was that. Rose Tyler was listed as dead, but that shouldn't be the problem. If it recognized her then it should accept her as alive, which she was after all.

"No," he shook his head, "that's not it."

It was almost as if the computer didn't recognize her as human either, which didn't make any sense because she was, she was the most human, human he knew.

"So, there are other Time Lords, yeah?" Amy asked, a bit excitedly.

He looked at her, not at all expecting that. Memories flooded through his mind.

"No. There were, but there aren't. Just me now." He felt Rose take his hand and he was grateful. She wasn't a Time Lady, but he knew as long as he had her he wasn't alone, not really. "Long story. There was a bad day. Bad stuff happened. And you know what? I'd love to forget it all, every last bit of it, but I don't. Not ever. Because this is what I do," He stepped back, dropping her hand and rubbing his together. "every time, every day, every second. This." He balled his hand into a fist. "Hold tight." He glanced at Amy. "We're bringing down the government."

He swung his fist and hit the Protest button. Mandy backed out of the room as the door slammed shut, trapping them inside. He took Rose's hand and grabbed Amy's arm, backing up against the far wall. The floor began to open up, revealing a long drop, long enough to appear bottomless.

"Say, wheee!" the Doctor said to Amy and then turned to Rose, giving her hand a squeeze as they smiled at each other. Amy screamed and they were falling.

**-0-**

Rose slid out of the tube after the Doctor and landed on…no…in something wet and slimy that smelled absolutely horrid. Amy landed near her a moment later with a squishing sound. She heard the sonic and stood up looking around the…where were they?

"All right there?" the Doctor asked, glancing at Rose. She gave him a nod. "High speed air cannon. Lousy way to travel."

"Where are we?" Rose asked, glancing around.

"Six hundred feet down. Twenty miles laterally, puts us at the heart of the ship. I'd say Lancashire." He smelled the air and she couldn't believe he didn't gag, then again, this was the Doctor. "What's this then?" he asked, glancing at Amy. "A cave? Can't be a cave. Looks like a cave."

"It's a rubbish dump and it's minging!" Amy said in disgust.

She flung something off herself and onto the floor. Rose took a step and almost fell over. The floor felt…squishy.

"Yes," the Doctor said, bending down in it. She walked over next to him. "but only food refuse." He picked up a chunk and smelled it, making her laugh because he was sitting in refuse and smelling it. That was just so him. He gave her a sideways glance, then turned his attention back to the refuse. "Organic, coming through feeder tubes from all over the ship."

Feeder tubes? She glanced at them. Why would there be…and then she realized why. It wasn't just refuse. It was food for whatever was in the room. Only it wasn't a room and it wasn't a cave. What was it?

"The floor's all squidgy, like a waterbed," Amy said, feeling around the floor.

"It's food then," Rose said. "But what's it for?"

The Doctor dug through the refuse, picking bits up and smelling it. She would've laughed if she wasn't trying to figure out what sort of creature the food was for, because it had to be for something.

"It's sort of rubbery," Amy continued, still feeling around the floor. "Feel it. Wet and slimy."

A distant noise reached them and it sounded a bit like an animal cry. Rose's stomach dropped. What the hell was that? The Doctor shot to his feet, looking right, left, then eyeing her.

"Uh," he looked worried. "It's not a floor." He glanced at Amy who was still sitting in the refuse. "It's a…" He pocketed his sonic. "So."

Amy stood up. Not a floor? Rose glanced down. How could it not be a floor?

"It's a what?" Amy asked.

"What do you mean, it's not a floor?" she asked, eyeing the Doctor as she took a step closer to Amy.

"The next word is kind of a scary word," He said, taking Amy's hands as he gave Rose a glance. For some reason he was more concerned with Amy's reaction then her, but then again she'd traveled with him for a few years and this was the girl's first trip. "You probably want to take a moment, get yourself in a calm place. Go ommmm."

"Ommmm," Amy repeated.

He gave Rose another glance, she raised her brow, wondering why he seemed so worried. He turned back to Amy catching her eye.

"It's…a…tongue," he said, watching her to judge her reaction.

Wait. A what? She glanced around the room that wasn't a room because if she was stand on a tongue…

"A tongue?" Amy asked in shock, staring at him.

"A tongue," he exclaimed, smiling.

"A tongue?" Rose asked, a bit concerned as she gazed around the creature's mouth, but then she caught the Doctor's excited smile and she couldn't help grinning back. He looked like a kid at Christmas, staring at his presents, how could she resist?

"A great big tongue!" he said, excitedly, taking her hands in his.

Her grin widened as his excitement became infectious.

"I know," she exclaimed, hopping up and down.

Then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, laughing, same way she used to and in that moment she realized it didn't matter what face he had he was still her Doctor. He wrapped his arms around her and she didn't have to see his face to know he was smiling like an idiot. It didn't matter that they both smelled like refuse or that they were standing in refuse because they had each other.

She pulled back, resting her hands on his chest. She could feel his on her waist. As she gazed into his eyes the refuse, the giant creature, all of it vanished and it was just him and her and…

"This is a mouth?" Amy exclaimed. Rose glanced at her. Amy! How could she forget about Amy? She could hear the concern in the girl's voice. She pulled away from the Doctor and stepped over to their friend. "This whole place is a mouth?" Amy glanced at them. "We're in a mouth?"

"Yes, yes, yes," the Doctor said, taking a step toward her, "but on the plus side. Roomy."

"It's all right," Rose said, putting her hand on Amy's shoulder.

"We're in a giant mouth. How is that all right?"

"We'll get out."

Amy eyed her, fear written all over her face.

"How?"

"How big is this beastie?" The Doctor asked, pulling out his sonic and scanning as he took a few steps. "It's gorgeous." He turned back to them. "Blimey, if this is just the mouth I'd love to see the stomach." The creature whined again. He froze. "Though, not right now."

Rose smiled, shaking her head, he was definitely mental.

"You're not helping," she said, trying to sound serious for Amy's sake, but she couldn't pull it off.

He spun around and gave her a smile.

"Doctor, how do we get out?" Amy insisted.

"Okay, it's being fed through surgically implanted feeder tubes," he said, using his sonic as a torch as he looked around, "so the normal entrance is…" He froze, staring straight ahead. Rose looked up. Teeth! Giant teeth! He lowered his sonic. "…closed for business."

"We could try, though."

The entire mouth began to vibrate as the creature whined again. Rose almost toppled over. The Doctor grabbed her arm to keep her from falling.

"No. Stop. Don't move," he insisted.

"What is it?" Rose asked. "What's happening?"

"Too late, it's started," he said and then he lost his footing and they both went down backwards.

"What has?" Amy asked, then she let out a yell as she too fell back.

"Swallow reflex," the Doctor said.

Swallow reflex? Rose's eyes widened as she realized what he meant. He rolled over, pointing his sonic further into the creature's mouth and held the button down.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sitting up.

"I'm vibrating the chemo-receptors," he explained.

"Chemo-what?" Amy asked, trying to stand up and then slipping back down.

"The eject button."

The what? Eject button? That didn't make any…Oh.

"How does a mouth have an eject button?" Amy asked, standing up.

"Think about it," he replied, standing up and then helping Rose as she struggled to her feet.

A creature made a sort of gurgling sound, a very not good gurgling sound. A wave approached, a wave that Rose knew wasn't water.

"Doctor?" Rose asked.

He turned to her.

"Yes?"

"I think this is our worst date yet," she said, giving him a smile.

"Date?" Amy asked, glancing between them.

He grinned.

"Right, then," the Doctor said, straightening his tie. "This isn't going to be big on dignity." He put his hand out and gave Rose a smile, like he used to. She grinned, taking his hand. Then they both faced the oncoming wave. "Geronimo!" he shouted as Amy screamed.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are welcome and appreciated. :)**


	16. The Beast Below Part 3

Rose landed on her back on something hard and for a moment she couldn't breathe. She heard the Doctor stirring next to her as she drew in a ragged breath and then another. She sat up slowly, still a bit disoriented. She caught sight of Amy lying next to her. The girl's eyes were closed and she wasn't moving.

"Rose, are you all right?" the Doctor asked in concern.

He bent down on her other side, pulling his sonic out, but she waved him off.

"I'm fine. Just had the wind knocked out of me, that's all. Check on Amy," she insisted.

He glanced over at Amy and then raced over to check her with his sonic. Rose stood up, her legs a bit shaky, but other than that she felt fine. Although that nagging feeling was back, stronger than it had been. She pushed it aside. Now, wasn't the time for that.

"She's all right. Just knocked out, but she'll come round soon," he said, pocketing his sonic.

Rose gazed around the room wondering where they were. She was about to ask when she took a step and her legs threatened to buckle. The Doctor was beside her in the next moment, sliding his arm around her waist to keep her from falling.

"Whoa, carful," he said.

"I'm fine, just, you know, a bit wobbly," she replied, leaning into him for support.

She gave him a smile, but he was studying her in concern.

"You could have a concussion."

She rolled her eyes. Not that she minded his concern, but they had other problems at the moment. Namely getting out of wherever they were.

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"I'd rather be sure," he said.

She leaned back catching his eye.

"Do I look like I've got a concussion?"

He pulled out his sonic and leaned close, using it as a torch on one eye and then the other.

"No, it doesn't appear that you do."

He was still leaning dangerously close to her. The old Doctor, the man he'd been before, would've stepped back by now. He would've felt the tension between them and distanced himself, keeping safely on the other side of that line, but this one teetered on the edge of that line and seemed almost willing to cross it. Something she wasn't at all used to.

"So," she said, taking a step back and taking her gaze from him to wonder around the room. "Are we stuck in here or is there a way out?"

"A way out," he said and she could feel him watching her. "Yes," he turned around and walked over to a sealed door. There was some kind of control box next to the door, possibly for key cards or maybe a code. "I should be able to get this open."

He pulled out his sonic and began using it on the control box and then the door. Amy woke at that moment, sputtering _not_ water. Rose crossed the room to crouch down next to her.

"There's nothing broken, there's no sign of a concussion," the Doctor said and then turned around," and, yes, you are covered in sick."

He began working on the control boxes.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"Overspill pipe, at a guess," the Doctor replied, without turning around.

"Here, let me help you," Rose said when Amy started to get up.

She took the girl's arm and pulled her up.

"Oh, God, it stinks," Amy said.

"That's…um…not the pipe," Rose replied.

"Oh." Amy smelled her arm. Her face contorted in disgust. "Phew. Can we get out?"

The Doctor spun around, facing them before Rose could reply.

"One door. One switch. One condition. We forget everything we saw." A button on the door lit up. The word Forget written across it. "Look familiar?"

So, the only way they could get out of there was to forget everything that happened?

"That's the carrot," the Doctor continued. "Ooo, here's the stick." Two of those Smiler things lit up at the other end of the room. Rose looked at them, remembering those shop dummies all those years ago. "There's a creature living in the heart of this ship. What's it doing there?" the Doctor demanded as he walked toward them. Rose followed with Amy next to her. The faces on the Smilers turned becoming Frowning faces. "No, that's not going to work on me, so come on. Big old beast below decks, and everyone who protests gets shoved down its throat. That how it works?" Their faces turned again becoming demented looking scowls. Amy backed off a step, glancing at Rose. She gave the girl a smile, trying to alleviate the situation, but she was getting a bit worried herself. "Oh, stop it. I'm not leaving and I'm not forgetting, and what are you fellows going to do about it? Stick out your tongues, huh?"

The booths opened, making Rose gasp. She heard Amy do the same as they backed up a few steps. The creatures stood up and advanced on them.

"Doctor?" Rose and Amy said at the same time.

The door behind them opened and a woman stepped into the room. It was, Liz, the woman they met earlier, but this time she wasn't wearing her porcelain mask. She was holding a gun and opened fire on the creatures, shooting both of them. The creatures fell. Then she twirled the gun on her finger and holstered it.

"Look who it is. You look a lot better without your mask," the Doctor said.

Liz smiled and walked toward them.

"You must be Amy. Liz. Liz Ten," she said, offering Amy her hand.

"Hi," Amy said, shaking hands.

"Eh." Liz wiped the sick off of her hand. "Lovely hair, Amy. Shame about the sick." She walked over to the door and Rose could see Mandy standing just inside the doorway. "You know Mandy, yeah?" She put her arm around the little girl's shoulder leading her into the room. "She's very brave."

"How did you find us?" the Doctor asked.

"Stuck my gizmo on you." Liz said, tossing a tracking device into his hands. "Been listening in." The Doctor pulled his sonic and checked the device. "Nice moves on the hurl escape. So, what's the big fella doing here?"

The Doctor pocketed the device.

"You're over sixteen. You've voted. Whatever this is, you've chosen to forget about it," he replied.

"No. Never forgot, never voted, not technically a British subject," Liz said.

"Then who are you and what are you. How do you know me and, more importantly, how do you know Rose?"

"You're both a bit hard to miss, luv. Mysterious strangers. M O consistent with higher alien intelligence, hair of an idiot, well, yours is, hers never really changes. I've been brought up on the stories. My whole family was."

"Your family?"

"They're repairing. Doesn't take them long. Let's move."

Liz stepped through the door and they all followed.

**-0-**

They were hurrying through a room. The Doctor still wasn't sure who Liz was, but she said she'd heard stories, not only of him, but of Rose as well. Grew up hearing the stories.

"The Doctor and Rose," Liz said, as if she was picking up where she left off. "Old drinking buddy of Henry Twelve. Tea and scones with Liz Two. Vicky was a bit on the fence about both of you, weren't she? Titled and exiled on the same day. And you," she said glancing back at Rose, "what you and your friend did to that statue…" she trailed off with a laugh.

"What statue?" the Doctor asked, curios as to what Rose would do to a statue with her friend. River? Most likely.

"And you," Liz said, catching the Doctor's eye, "So much for the Virgin Queen you bad, bad boy."

"Sorry…what?" Rose shot.

Oh, that was really, really not good. The Doctor chanced a glance at her. Really, really not good. He sped up a bit.

"Liz Ten," he exclaimed, finally figuring out who she was and hoping a change of subject would take that murderous look out of Rose's eyes.

"Liz Ten. Yeah. Elizabeth the Tenth. And down!" He crouched down as she pulled out both of her guns, swung around and shot the two Smilers behind them. The creatures fell to the ground. She eyed him. "I'm the bloody Queen mate. Basically, I rule."

She turned around and he stood up, following her, but he didn't get very far before Rose was next to him. He could feel her watching him, but he purposely kept his eyes trained on Liz's back. She cleared her throat, but he didn't even glance at her.

"Doctor?" she asked, a tense edge in her voice.

He sighed, knowing he'd have to say something. She wasn't going to let him off.

"Yes?" he asked, glancing at her and giving her his best _I'm completely innocent _look.

She was beyond angry. Not at all happy.

"What was she talking about?"

"Oh, nothing…" he glanced away, "Just…you know…stuff."

"And what _stuff _happened between you and-"

"It was just…um…" he interrupted running a hand through his hair. "It was a long time ago."

She raised her brow.

"How long ago?"

A couple years…no maybe a year…no, well, he couldn't say that. He glanced at her…death…yes…he would die, she would kill him. This was bad, really not good.

He caught sight of a door up ahead and hurried forward, opened it and dashed inside and then stopped when he caught sight of them. Two large tentacles had grown up through the floor. They were beating against the grating.

"Doctor," Rose insisted, stepping through the door.

He bent down, examining them through the bars that kept him on one side and them on the other.

"There's a high-speed Vator through there," Liz said stepping into the room and closing the door.

"What are they?" Rose asked from beside him.

She was probably still upset, but for now she was distracted, which was more than fine. He squeezed between the bars to get a better look at the tentacles.

"Oh, yeah, there's those things," Liz said from behind.

He stood up, taking Rose's hand and pulling her back a few steps with him. Then he pulled his sonic out and scanned the tentacles.

"And ideas?" Liz asked.

He looked at the reading. It was as he thought.

"Doctor, I saw one of these up top. There was a hole in the road, like it had burst through, like a root," Amy said.

"Exactly like a root," he said.

"Does it have to do with the creature?" Rose asked.

He glanced at her and then back to the tentacles. His hearts dropped as he realized what it meant.

"Yes, it's all one creature, the same one we were inside, reaching out. It must be growing through the mechanisms of the entire ship."

"What? Like an infestation? Someone's helping it. Feeding it. Feeding my subjects to it," Liz snapped and then turned and began walking down the hall. "Come on, got to keep moving."

He stood there staring at the tentacles. Someone trapped it, was keeping it, but why? A ship that doesn't have an engine. Then he knew what it was. Why it was there. He felt Rose take his hand. He glanced at her. She was concerned.

"Oh, Rose," he said, turning his gaze from her to the creature. "We should never have come here."

**-0-**

Rose followed the group down the hall. Two of those creepy Smiler things led the way. They were being led to some place called The Tower. The closer they got the more Rose could hear a sound, a tortured sound, like screaming. She glanced at the others, but it didn't look like they could hear it. Maybe she hit her head harder than she thought when she fell.

They entered The Tower, which looked anything, but pleasant. There was some kind of device in the middle of the room that shot a laser at something in the raised hole in the middle of the floor. They passed a grating under which there were more of those tentacles.

The sound was louder in that room and the feeling it gave her sent shivers down her spine. Whatever was making it was in pain. Only, no one else could hear it.

"Doctor, where are we?" Amy asked, gazing through the grating at the tentacles.

"The lowest point of starship UK. The dungeon," the Doctor said, spinning around.

"Ma'am," an older man said.

He had grey hair, wore glasses and a cloak. He crossed the room toward them.

"Hawthorne," Liz greeted. "So, this is where you hid yourself away. I think you've got some explaining to do."

That sound wrenched at her heart, but then she caught sight of something else that was nearly as bad.

"Doctor," Rose said, a bit louder than she meant to because of that tortured sound, drawing his attention as some children walked past with trays of food. "There's kids."

"There's children down here. What's this all about?" the Doctor asked.

"Protesters and citizens of limited value are fed to the beast. For some reason, it won't eat the children." What? They fed people to the creature? That was horrible. She glanced at the Doctor and noticed the grim look in his eyes. "You're the first adults it's spared. You're very lucky.

"Yeah, look at us. Torture chamber of the Tower of London. Lucky, lucky, lucky," the Doctor snapped.

"Torture chamber?" Rose asked as the Doctor crossed the room.

"Except it's not a torture chamber, is it? Well, except it is. Except it isn't. Depends on your angle."

He walked up to the raised hole in the middle of the room and she followed. Only, it wasn't a hole. She assumed it was because she couldn't see what was inside. It looked like…

"What's that?" she asked, fearing she already knew the answer.

"Well, like I say, it depends on the angle. It's either the exposed pain centre of big fella's brain, being tortured relentlessly…"

Her heart weighed down on her. That's what she thought it was. How could they do that? How could they torture it like that?

"Or?" Liz asked.

"Or it's the gas pedal, the accelerator. Starship UK's go faster button."

"I don't understand," Liz said.

"Don't you? Try to. Go on." He walked around the creature's brain until he was standing next to Liz. "The spaceship that could never fly. No vibration on deck. This creature, this poor, trapped, terrified creature. It's not infesting you, it's what you have instead of an engine." She could hear the anger in his voice. It was visible in his eyes as well and she didn't blame him. What they were doing to that poor creature, it..it broke her heart. "And this place down here is where you hurt it, where you torture it, day after day, just to keep it moving." She could still hear that tortured scream and she wondered if that was the creature, but if it was then wouldn't everyone hear it, wouldn't they have said something? "Tell you what," the Doctor said, leaping down and running over to one of the grates. "Normally, it's above the range of human hearing." He pulled off the top of the grating and tossed it on the floor. One of the tentacles popped out of the open grate. He pulled out his sonic. "This is the sound none of you wanted to hear."

He pointed his sonic at the tentacle and held down the button. The sound she'd been hearing became even louder and she had to cover her ears to keep from screaming along with it. She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced through squinted eyes. Amy was next to her, looking concerned.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Rose said. Amy gave her a skeptical look. "Really."

"Stop it," Liz said, waving her arm.

He released the button and the sound returned to a bearable level, at least for her. She could still hear it though and it still broke her heart.

"Who did this?" Liz asked, eyeing Hawthorne.

"We act on instructions from the highest authority," the man replied.

"I am the highest authority." He gave her a smile. "The creature will be released, now." He just stood there. "I said now!" Again no one moved. "Is anyone listening to me?"

"Liz," the Doctor said, drawing her attention. "Your mask."

"What about my mask?" she asked.

He tossed her mask to her, she caught it.

"Look at it." She gave it a glance as he crossed the room toward her. "It's old. At least two hundred years old, I'd say."

"Yeah? It's an antique. So?" she dismissed.

"Yeah, an antique made by craftsmen over two hundred years ago and perfectly sculpted to your face. They slowed your body clock, all right, but you're not fifty. Nearer three hundred. And it's been a long old reign."

Three hundred? She'd been ruling for three hundred years, but she thought it'd only been ten. Why didn't she remember?

"Nah, it's ten years. I've been on this throne ten years."

"Ten years. And the same ten years over and over again," He grabbed Liz's hand and led her over to a set of monitors stationed behind them. "always leading you," he snapped his fingers and pointed at the monitors, "here."

There were two buttons under the monitors. Forget and Abdicate. Liz glanced at Hawthorne.

"What have you done?" she asked.

"Only what you have ordered," Hawthorne replied. "We work for you, Ma'am. The Winders, the Smilers, all of us."

Hawthorne pushed a button, turning one of the monitors on. A recording of Liz began to play.

"If you are watching this. If I am watching this, then I have found my way to the Tower of London. The creature you are looking at is called a Star Whale." A computerized image of the Star Whale appeared on the screen. It was beautiful. "Once, there were millions of them. They lived in the depths of space and, according to legend, guided the early space travelers through the asteroid belts. This one, as far as we are aware, is the last of its kind." She glanced at the Doctor. She could still see the anger in his eyes, but there was something else…despair. She stepped closer to him, taking his hand. He glanced at her and then back at the screen, but he didn't pull his hand away. "And what we have done to it breaks my heart. The Earth was burning. Our sun had turned on us and every other nation had fled to the skies. Our children screamed as the skies grew hotter. And then it came, like a miracle. The last of the Star Whales. We trapped it, we built our ship around it, and we rode on its back to safety." Now she knew why the Doctor said they shouldn't have come there. A beautiful, innocent creature was being tortured, but in order to save it they'd have to release it and that would destroy the ship and kill everyone onboard. "If you wish our voyage to continue, then you must press the Forget button. Be again the heart of this nation, untainted. If not, press the other button. Your reign will end, the Star Whale will be released, and our ship will disintegrate. I hope I keep the strength to make the right decision."

"I voted for this. Why would I do that?" Amy asked, glancing at the Doctor.

"Because you knew if we stayed here, I'd be faced with an impossible choice. Humanity or the alien. You took it upon yourself to save me from that. And that was wrong." He pulled his hand out of Rose's, not forcefully, but he was angry. He leaned toward Amy. "You don't ever decide what I need to know."

"I don't even remember doing it," Amy protested.

Rose knew he was lashing out because of the decision he had to make, but taking it out on Amy wasn't right.

"You did it. That's what counts," he snapped.

She took his arm, trying to get him to stop, but he shrugged her off.

"I'm, I'm sorry," Amy apologized.

"OH, I don't care," he said, leaning in angrily. Then he turned and walked away. "When I'm done here, you're going home."

"Doctor," Rose snapped following him.

He reached the creature's brain and rounded on her.

"What?" he growled.

"She made one mistake and you're going to drop her back home for that?"

Amy drew up next to her. He began fiddling with settings on one of the control panels.

"I don't even remember doing it," Amy protested, but he ignored both of them. "Doctor!"

"Yeah, I know," he snapped, glancing at Amy. "You're only human."

Rose watched him fiddle with some of the dials. She walked around the control panel, watching him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"The worst thing I'll ever do. I'm going to pass a massive electrical charge through the Star Whale's brain. Should knock out all its higher functions, leave it a vegetable. The ship will still fly, but the whale won't feel it."

She could hear despair in his voice and her heart went out to him. He was going to kill a beautiful, innocent creature so it wouldn't suffer and she knew it was that or save it and kill everyone on board.

"That'll be like killing it," Amy said.

"Look, three options. One, I let the Star Whale continue in unendurable agony for hundreds more years. Two, I kill everyone on this ship. Three, I murder a beautiful, innocent creature as painlessly as I can. And then I find a new name, because I won't be the Doctor anymore."

"There must be something we can do, some other way," Liz said.

"Nobody talk to me. Nobody human has anything to say to me today!" he yelled.

She noticed Amy and Liz take a step back, but she stayed where she was, watching him. He was lashing out, angry and filled with despair over what he had to do. Her eyes misted over as her heart broke for him. He shouldn't have to do this, not after everything he'd been through, but he couldn't walk away and leave it in pain. Well, she wasn't going to let him do this on his own.

"What?" he snapped, obviously noticing that she was still standing next to him after Liz and Amy walked off. She ignored the anger in his voice because she knew it was masking his pain.

"What can I do?" she asked.

"You can go over there with everyone else and let me do this," he said with a dangerous edge to his voice.

"I'm not going anywhere."

He rounded on her, grabbing her shoulders.

"Didn't you hear what I said!" he yelled.

"I heard what you said, but I'm not leaving you!" she shot back. His eyes widened, but the pain and anger were still there. She grabbed his arms. "You might have to do this, but I'm not letting you do this on your own."

"You want to help me kill an innocent creature?"

"Yes."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because you have enough to carry on your own, let me carry this with you."

He stared at her in silence for a minute and then he released her and turned back to the control panel.

"There's some wires over here. I need you to strip them so I can fuse them together," he said as he started attaching a couple hoses.

She hurried over to the other side of him and started pulling the wires out.

"Doctor, Rose, stop," Amy said, racing up to them. Whatever you're doing, stop it now!" She ran over to Liz and grabbed the woman's hand. "Sorry, Your Majesty. Going to need a hand."

"What's she doing?" Rose asked, watching her.

Amy pulled Liz over to the monitors, to the buttons. The Doctor looked up, and then dropped what he was doing. Rose realized what she was about to do.

"Amy, no! No!" he yelled racing across the room with Rose right behind him.

They reached her just as she slammed Liz's hand down on the Abdicate button. Rose could hear clamps releasing. The scream changed, first becoming more shrill and then decreasing. The ship lurched and she had to grab the Doctor to keep from falling. Only, he couldn't keep his feet either and they both went down as the lights started to flicker.

"Amy, what have you done?" the Doctor asked.

He stood up, helping Rose to her feet.

"Nothing at all," Amy said and then glanced at Hawthorne. "Am I right?"

"We've increased speed," Hawthorne said, after checking a monitor on the wall.

"Yeah, well, you've stopped torturing the pilot. Got to help," Amy replied.

Torturing the pilot? What was she talking about? Rose looked at the Doctor, but he seemed as confused as she was.

"It's still here. I don't understand," Liz said.

"The Star Whale didn't come like a miracle all those years ago. It volunteered. You didn't have to trap it or torture it. That was all just you. It came because it couldn't stand to watch your children cry. What if you were really old, and really kind and alone? Your whole race dead. No future. What couldn't you do then?" Rose glanced at the Doctor, her hand still in his from when he helped her stand up. "If you were that old, and that kind," Amy turned around and looked at him, "and the very last of your kind, you couldn't just stand there and watch children cry."

She was good. Rose knew why the Doctor wanted to bring her along, well, besides that whole ginger thing.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are super appreciated. :)**


	17. The Beast Below - Afterward

The Doctor walked up the steps to the control room. He'd been working on some wires until the TARDIS grew annoyed enough to shock him…three times in a row. He decided to give her a break, along with the tips of his fingers which were still healing after the last jolt.

He had a lot on his mind and working helped him to sort things out. Most of the things he needed to sort out had to do with Rose. A whistling noise drew his attention. Someone had put the kettle on, but everyone should be asleep. Amy and Rose had gone off to bed after that whole business with the Star Whale.

He agreed to let them get some sleep before they popped in to help Winston, after all, they had a time machine. A few hours didn't make a difference and humans did need to do that sleep thing every night.

He stepped into the kitchen and abruptly stopped, glad he wasn't holding anything because he was sure he would've dropped it. Rose's back was to him as she made herself a cuppa, but that wasn't what stopped him in his tracks. She was wearing a pair of shorts that were…well…entirely what their name described, a tank top, a bit more revealing in the back than the other one had been and…well, that was it. Her damp blonde hair hung down her back as if she'd just gotten out of the shower.

"So, do you want a cuppa or are you just going to stand there staring at me?" she asked.

She turned around, grinning at him.

"Um…" he trailed off unable to form a rational thought. Had she purposely dressed like? He tried as hard as he could to wrench his gaze from her, but his eyes decided his mind could sod off because they weren't listening.

She laughed.

"Did you give your head a whack while you were working on the TARDIS?" she asked, as if she had no idea why he was staring, which she had to because she was the one who decided to run around his ship half…he shook his head. No, definitely don't think that.

"I…um…I…" What the hell was wrong with him?

_You're over nine hundred years old and a Time Lord, pull it together. _

"I'm going to take that as a yes," she laughed. "Come on, I'll make you a cuppa."

She turned back around and he was able to regain control of himself. He crossed the room and meant to sit in the chair, was aiming for the chair, but found himself walking over to the counter to stand next to her.

"I thought you were going to bed?" he asked, leaning back against the counter and crossing his legs.

"I'm not tired," she replied, opening the cupboard and pulling out a cup.

She sat it on the counter and began filling it.

"Humans need sleep."

She eyed him and then laughed.

"What?" he asked, not entirely sure why she was laughing.

"So, do Time Lords, just not as much," she said, walking over to the refrigerator and opening the door.

"Are you…" and the rest of that thought vanished, like the TARDIS dematerializing, as she bent over to pick up the milk.

"Am I what?" she asked, standing up and turning around. She gave him a concerned look. "Doctor, are you all right?"

And that's when he realized his mouth had dropped open. He closed it. Opened it to reply only nothing came out, so he closed it again. She sat the milk on the counter and closed the distance between them. His mind was just recovering from being completely wiped of all logical thought and in the next moment she was standing inches from him, reaching up to feel his forehead.

"You're not sick are you?" she asked in worry, which made him feel horrible because she was worried, but with her that close the thoughts running through his mind had nothing to do with concern or worry or being ill.

The smell of strawberries and cream drifted from her, making his hands itched to reach out and hold her, well, not only hold her.

"Doctor?" she asked again, gazing into his eyes.

With every ounce of willpower he possessed he took a step back.

"I'm um…" he was startled by the squeak in his voice. He cleared his throat. "I'm fine. Really. Just um…got a nasty shock from the TARDIS. That…um…that must be it."

"Are you sure?" she asked, not at all convinced.

"Yes, positive. I'm completely fine. Not sick at all."

"Okay," she said, turning back to the tea to add a bit of milk.

She turned around to return the carton to the refrigerator, but he took it from her.

"Allow me," he said, walking over and putting it back.

He wasn't entirely sure his mind could withstand being wiped of all logical thought again, at least, not this soon and if she did that whole…No, best not even think about it.

"Thanks," she replied, giving him a smile, no, not a smile, _that _smile. The cheeky one and when she was dressed like that. He rubbed his hand over his eyes. Maybe he ought to go take a shower. Hang the tea and take a nice cold shower. Yes, that was just the…

"Here," she said, shoving a cup in his hand and taking his other one in hers.

She proceeded to lead him out of the room.

"Where are we going?" he asked, nervously.

"As if you don't know," she replied, glancing at him with that cheeky grin and there went his mind again, all logic wiped from the data core and he wasn't entirely sure how he managed to keep hold of his cup as she led him down the corridor and into…the library.

She led him over to the sofa and sat him down. Then she sat her cup on the table, took his and set that one on the table, and eyed him.

"So, what're you in the mood for?" she asked.

"Um…I…um…" he stammered trying to work out what she was asking, but all his logic had fled and the only thoughts left were…no, she wasn't asking that…was she? No…maybe… "Sorry?" he asked.

"Historical? Mystery? What?"

Oh! He glanced around the room. They were in the library after all.

"Books," he said, as his mind caught up with what was she was asking.

"Of course books," she replied, jumping down on the sofa next to him with one knee bent and the other leg hanging off the end. So very, very close. "What did you think I was asking?"

"Oh…um…nothing…I mean…" he rubbed the back of his neck, nervously, "of course I knew you were talking about books."

"Were you being cheeky again?" she asked, giving him that teasing smile, which was really not good what with her sitting that close and wearing…cold shower. Yes, nice cold shower would do.

"No, I…hang on, when was I ever cheeky?" he asked, his mind catching up with her accusation.

"I caught you looking."

"When?"

"Earlier."

"I…I never…" she gave him that teasing smile again and he realized what she was doing. "Rose Tyler are you teasing me?"

"Maybe."

And she gave him that smile, the one she reserved only for him.

"That's not very nice."

"Maybe not, but it's fun," she said, taking his arm and giving it a playful shake, like she used to.

He planned on waiting, giving her a bit of time to adjust after everything, but he was finding it very hard to stick to that plan because at that moment all he wanted to do was…She stood up.

"Well, since you haven't answered me I'll surprise you," she said, and then walked over to wander through the stacks.

As soon as she was out of sight he let out a sigh and then pinched the bridge of his nose. His plan was going to fall apart. There was no way he could hold out much longer. He was sure she still felt the same. Otherwise she wouldn't have shown a bit of jealousy over Amy before she knew who the girl was and then there was that whole fiasco over the Virgin Queen, best never mention that again.

"All right there?" she asked, drawing him out of his thoughts.

She walked over to the sofa holding a book. A mystery novel he recognized. Agatha Christie. She flopped down next to him, handing the book over. He wrapped his arm around her and she cuddled into his chest. It was something they'd done before, when she couldn't sleep or when she was missing Mickey after he decided to stay behind on Pete's world. As the Doctor opened to the first chapter he knew he was going to have a hard time concentrating on the words with the woman he loved pressed up against him like that. The man he used to be was barely able to keep that line between them, but he'd managed it. After he walked away something inside of him broke and the force of that caused him to regenerate into the man he was now. A bit more distant. A bit more angry, but she was already beginning to fix that. Her very presence altered him, changed him. He couldn't keep that line between them, he didn't want to. From the day he took her hand in the basement of that department store she'd been his and he'd been hers, he was just too foolish to see it, but he saw it now and he wouldn't give her up. Never again.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	18. Allies

John sat back in his chair and smiled, the plans laid out on his desk. It'd already begun. Cracks appearing, all across the universe, all across time, cracks in the skin of the universe. Only a few at the moment, but there would be more. The Cybermen had already lost two fleets, which was why he sent her there first. They would become his first allies, without, of course, realizing who he was. Wouldn't do to be seen, not when he was an exact copy of the Doctor. They'd never believe that. They'd think he was the actual Doctor and destroy him on site, or try to.

For his plan to succeed he had to stay carefully hidden in the background, pulling all the strings of course. They would be the first allies to his cause. Then would come the Daleks, the Sontarans, and all the rest. This was going to be brilliant!

There was a flash and Ms. Halpen appeared in his office. He acquired a vortex manipulator for her travels as his liaison.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"Perfectly. You were right. They were more interested in the cause of the cracks than assimilating anyone," she replied.

Losing two fleets would do that.

"They're on our side then?"

"Yes. They'll report any sightings directly to you. I gave them the name you supplied."

The Cybermen were now their allies. It wouldn't be long now.

"Good. Very good."

"Will there be anything else?"

"Yes, check on the progress."

"With the box?"

Box. She had no idea what it was. It wasn't merely a box. It was their salvation. Their freedom from the Doctor and John's revenge.

"Let me know how it's coming along," he replied.

"You still haven't told me what it is," she said.

"It's a prison."

"A prison?"

"The perfect prison."

He dismissed her with a wave of his hand and she walked out of the room. He smiled. Everything was in motion. He knew how it worked out the first time because he had those memories, taken from the Doctor, but this time…this time would be different. He knew what the Time Lord would do, sacrificing himself and all the while knowing that the girl would bring him back. Only, little Amelia Pond wouldn't live long enough to help her imaginary friend. Oh, no. He had plans for Amy. Not yet, but soon, very soon, he would end her.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	19. Victory of the Daleks Part 1

Rose followed Amy and the Doctor out of the TARDIS. She stepped into some kind of underground room and, of course, there were men in front of the Doctor, training rifles on him. She resisted the urge to laugh. There was a man standing in the middle of them, smoking a cigar. She recognized him immediately.

"Rose? Amy? Winston Churchill," the Doctor introduced.

"Doctor. Is that you?" Churchill asked.

"Oh, Winston, my old friend."

The Doctor held his hand out, offering to shake Churchill's, but the man motioned for the Time Lord to hand something over.

"Ah, every time," the Doctor laughed.

"What's he after?" Amy asked.

"TARDIS key, of course."

Rose still had hers, but it was safely tucked under her shirt on the silver necklace she wore.

"Think of what I could achieve with your remarkable machine, Doctor. The lives that could be saved," Churchill said.

The Doctor glanced at Rose. She reached over and closed the TARDIS door.

"Ah, doesn't work like that," the Doctor said.

"Must I take it by force?" Churchill asked.

"I'd like to see you try," the Doctor replied, a hint of warning in his voice.

Winston glanced at the soldiers.

"At ease."

The Doctor gave him a smile.

"You rang?"

"This way," Churchill said, turning around.

Rose followed behind the Doctor as they headed into the corridor.

"So you've changed your face again," Churchill pointed out.

"Yeah, well, had a bit of work done," the Doctor replied.

"Got it, got it, got it. Cabinet War Rooms, right?" Amy asked.

"Yep. Top secret, heart of the War Office, right under London."

Wait. They were already there during that war. In London. All those people with the gas masks. She remembered the Doctor saying he couldn't cross his own time stream. Did he forget they'd been there?

"Hang on," Rose said, walking next to the Doctor. "Weren't we here once?"

He glanced at her and then looked at his watch, tapping the glass.

"No, I mean, yes, but not yet. As long as we leave before the end of next month we'll be fine."

"You're late, by the way," Churchill said.

"Requisitions, sir," a female officer said, handing over a clipboard and pen.

"Excellent," Churchill replied, signing off on the forms.

"Late?" the Doctor asked, glancing at his watch again.

"I rang you a month ago."

"Really? Sorry, sorry. It's a Type Forty TARDIS, it's... I'm just running her in."

Churchill handed over the forms and then looked at the woman.

"Something the matter, Breen? You look a little down in the dumps."

"No, sir," Breen said, giving him a smile. "Fine, sir."

"Action this day, Breen. Action this day," Churchill said, motioning with the pen.

"Yes, sir."

Rose caught her eye, giving her a smile. She returned it before turning around and walking down the corridor.

"Excuse me, sir," a man wearing a dress uniform said, walking up to Churchill. "Got another formation coming in, Prime Minister. Stukas, by the look of them."

"We shall go up top then, Group Captain. We'll give them what for." Churchill turned to the Doctor. "Coming, Doctor?"

"Why?" the Doctor asked as Churchill reached for his cane.

"I have something to show you."

**-0-**

Rose followed the Doctor out a door and onto a roof. She gazed around. There were stacks of sandbags everywhere. Sentries stood at attention while a man in a white lab coat searched the skies with a pair of binoculars.

"Wow," Amy said.

"Doctor, this is Professor Edwin Bracewell." The man in the lab coat lowered his binoculars and looked over at them. "Head of our Ironsides Project."

The Doctor held his hand up forming a V for victory with his fingers. Rose smiled and gave the man a wave.

"How do you do?" Bracewell called, waving at them.

A bomb fell from the sky, exploding a little ways away. The building shook. Rose stumbled a bit, grabbing onto the Doctor's arm to keep from falling. He gave her a smile then turned his attention to the barrage balloons. She looked out at all of them as they floated around the city.

"I was hanging from one of them, remember that?" she asked, glancing at him.

"Of course I do," he replied. "That was our ninth date if I remember correctly."

He gave her a smile and she grinned.

"Sounds about right. Only you were off looking for something."

"I was trying to locate a crashed ship."

"Well, it's a good thing Jack was there."

The Doctor gave her a look that seemed to be tinged with a bit of jealousy. Did he still think she had a thing for Jack?

"I've been meaning to ask you about him-"

"Ready, Bracewell?" Churchill called, interrupting them.

"Aye aye, sir," Bracewell yelled over his shoulder giving the Prime Minister a thumbs up. He lifted his binoculars. "On my order…fire!"

Lasers shot from the other side of the sandbags and into the sky, blowing up each German aircraft in the formation flying towards them. A chill ran down her spine. She recognized those lasers and the sound they made. It was sound she'd never forget.

"What was that?" Amy asked, fearfully.

Amy had a right to be scared. If Rose was correct the creature that fired those lasers was dangerous, dangerous and deadly.

"Doctor?" Rose asked in concern. "Doctor, I've heard that sound before."

"That wasn't human," the Doctor called. "That was never human technology. That sounded like."

"It's them isn't it, Doctor?"

"Show me," he demanded, running to the ladder and climbing up, quickly. "Show me. Show me what that was!"

Rose raced after him. She had to see for herself, had to know.

"Advance," Bracewell ordered.

"Our new secret weapon. Ha!" Churchill exclaimed.

Rose stood next to the Doctor as it rolled out from behind the sandbags. It was exactly what she feared. It was a Dalek. It turned its head, training its eyestalk on them.

"What do you think?" Bracewell asked as the Doctor advanced on the creature. "Quite something eh?"

"Doctor," Rose said, warningly as she stepped up behind him.

"What are you doing here?" the Doctor demanded.

"I AM YOUR SOLDIER," the Dalek said.

Solider? What the hell was it talking about?

"What?" the Doctor asked, as if he wasn't sure what the Dalek was talking about.

"I AM YOUR SOLDIER."

"Stop this. Stop this now." The Doctor leaned in.

"Doctor!" Rose insisted.

It could shoot him at any moment. He knew how dangerous they were.

"Now, you know who I am. You always know."

"YOUR IDENTITY IS UNKNOWN."

The Doctor stepped away from the Dalek, looking around and she knew he was trying to work out what it was doing there, why it claimed to be a soldier, and most importantly, why it claimed it didn't know who the Doctor was.

"Perhaps I can clarify things here. This is one of my Ironsides," Bracewell said.

One of his what? Rose looked at him. Ironsides?

"Your what?" the Doctor asked.

"You will help the Allied cause in any way that you can," Bracewell said.

"YES," the Dalek replied.

"Until the Germans have been utterly smashed."

"YES."

"And what is your ultimate aim?"

"TO WIN THE WAR."

**-0-**

They were in Churchill's office, looking at Bracewell's plans. The ones that he supposedly drew up before he invented the Daleks, but he didn't invent them. She wasn't sure why he was saying he did, whether they did something to his mind or he was in league with them, but she knew a Dalek when she saw one and that's exactly what those things were.

"They're Daleks. They're called Daleks," the Doctor insisted.

"They are Bracewell's Ironsides, Doctor. Look. Blueprints, statistics, field tests, photographs. He invented them," Churchill insisted.

"Invented them? Oh, no, no, no," the Doctor adamantly rejected.

"Yes. He approached one of our brass hats a few months ago. Fellow's a genius."

"A Scottish genius, too. Maybe you should listen to-"

"Shhh!" the Doctor snapped, holding a finger up.

Rose had about enough of this. Churchill was being fooled and Amy, obviously, hadn't seen what they could do, but Rose had. She knew how dangerous they were. It wasn't worth winning the war if everyone on earth died in the process.

"I don't care if he said he invented them," Rose insisted. "They're Daleks, like the Doctor said. I've seen them. I was captured by them. The Doctor and I fought them together. Bracewell didn't invent them!"

"Exactly. They're alien," the Doctor insisted.

"Alien?" Churchill asked in disbelief.

"And totally hostile."

"Precisely. They will win me the war."

Churchill, turned and strode out of the room. The Doctor followed, Rose kept pace beside him, and Amy trailed them.

"Why don't you listen to me? Why did you call me in if you won't listen to me?" the Doctor asked.

"When I rang you a month ago, I must admit I had my doubts. The Ironsides seemed too good to be true," Churchill said.

"Yes. Right. So, destroy them. Exterminate them."

Rose didn't like the Doctor's choice of words, but she couldn't blame him. They were the cause of so much of her grief. First there was the game station where she had to look into the heart of the TARDIS to save him from being killed by them. Then there was Canary Wharf where she fought them with him and wound up separated from him for two years because of it. And then the Crucible.

"But imagine what I could do with a hundred. A thousand," Churchill said.

She didn't have to imagine. She'd seen what thousands of Daleks could do, what millions could do. End of the human race. That's what they could do.

"I am imagining," the Doctor snapped.

A Dalek rolled past carrying a dispatch box. She watched it, untrustingly and noticed the Doctor doing the same. Churchill walked through the door to the Map Room, but the Doctor stopped and faced Amy. Rose drew up alongside him.

"Amy, tell him," the Doctor said.

"Tell him what?" Amy asked.

"About the Daleks."

"What would I know about the Daleks?"

"Everything. They invaded your world, remember? Planets in the sky. You don't forget that." He was right. She should know, but she just stared at him as if she had no idea what he was talking about. "Amy, tell me you remember the Daleks."

"No, sorry."

What? How could she not remember that?

"That's not possible," the Doctor said. Then he turned to Rose. "You remember, don't you?"

"Of course I remember. The Daleks, the Crucible, Davros, yeah, I remember," she replied.

"What're you two talking about?" Amy asked.

The Doctor glanced at her and then stepped past Rose and into the Map Room. Rose followed him inside. He glanced at Churchill who was busy giving orders and seemed to decide to wait until the man finished. Rose drew up next to him and Amy stopped beside her. He watched the Daleks, suspiciously.

"So, they're up to something. But what is it? What are they after?" the Doctor mused.

"It doesn't make any sense, yeah?" Rose asked. "I mean, the ones on the game station, they were converting people, planning on turning Earth into some Dalek utopia. And the ones at Canary Wharf, they were just killing everyone. Same with the Crucible. They were going to use that Reality Bomb to get rid of everyone who wasn't like them, everyone who wasn't Dalek. So, why are the ones here helping?"

"They aren't helping. Daleks don't help. They only appear to be helping, but they're after something."

"Yeah, but what is it?"

"I…" he rubbed his hand over his eyes in frustration. "I don't know."

"Well, let's just ask, shall we?" Amy asked and then walked over to the closest Dalek.

"Amy!" Rose yelled.

"Amelia!" the Doctor called.

Amy ignored them and tapped on the Dalek's side, clearing her throat. It swung its eyestalk around until it was looking at her. Rose watched in horror. Amy had no idea how dangerous they were.

"CAN I BE OF ASSISTANCE?" the Dalek asked.

"Oh. Yes, yes. See, um," She pointed at Rose and the Doctor, "my friends reckon you're dangerous. That you're an alien. Is that true?"

"I AM YOUR SOLDIER."

"Yeah. Got that bit." She folded her arms and eyed the creature. "Love a squaddie. What else, though?"

"PLEASE EXCUSE ME. I HAVE DUTIES TO PERFORM."

The Dalek turned and wheeled across the room. The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose. Rose felt his frustration. No one was listening to them. When the Daleks started killing people they'd listen, but that would be too late.

"Come on," the Doctor said, grabbing Rose's hand and leading her over to where Churchill was standing.

"Winston," He reached up and took the cigar out the Prime Minister's mouth and then set in an ashtray. "Rose has seen them, seen what they can do."

"Yes, yes, I heard what she said," he dismissed.

She glanced at the Doctor who was looking at her, he raised his brow. She eyed Churchill. She wasn't sure how she was going to talk the Prime Minister out of using the Daleks, he saw them as hope, a way to win the war, but she had to try. Had to try not only for the Doctor, but for all the innocent people they'd kill.

"You think you can use them to obliterate the Germans, yeah? To win the war?" Rose asked.

"Precisely," Churchill agreed.

"But you don't understand how dangerous they are. I've seen them kill hundreds of people. They might be on your side right now, but you can't trust them. They'll turn on you."

"Thank you for your input Ms…"

"Tyler."

"Ms. Tyler, but we are waging total war. Day after day the Luftwaffe pound this great city like an iron fist."

"Wait till the Daleks get started," the Doctor snapped.

"Men, women, and children slaughtered. Families torn apart. Wren's churches in flame," Churchill continued.

"Try the Earth in flames, yeah?" Rose said.

"I weep for my country," Churchill replied, walking across the room. The Doctor and Rose followed. "I weep for my empire. It is breaking my heart."

Churchill picked up a clipboard and signed off on a paper.

"You're resisting, Winston. The whole world knows you're resisting. You're a beacon of hope," the Doctor insisted.

"But for how long?" Churchill handed the clipboard over and then continued across the room. "Millions of innocent lives will be saved if I use these Ironsides now."

Churchill pointed out one of the Daleks. The creature stopped and craned it's eyestalk, focusing on them.

"CAN I BE OF ASSISTANCE?" the Dalek asked.

The Doctor angrily pointed at the creature.

"Shut it," he snapped. Then turned his attention to Churchill. He caught the Prime Minister's eyes. "Listen to me. Just listen. The Daleks have no conscience, no mercy, no pity. They are my oldest and deadliest enemy. You cannot trust them."

"If Hitler invaded hell, I would give a favorable reference to the Devil." And there it was, just as she thought. It didn't matter what they said, Churchill was going to use the Daleks. "These machines are our salvation."

A siren sounded through the room. Rose glanced up and then around the area.

"Oh, the All Clear. We are safe, for now," Churchill continued.

Only they weren't safe. No one was safe as long as the Daleks were there. She knew there was only one way to keep everyone safe and she knew the Doctor was thinking the same thing.

He eyed the Dalek as Churchill walked away. Rose leaned in next to him.

"What do we do?" she asked.

"Find out why they're here and then stop them," he replied, darkly.

"And how're we going to do that?"

"Doctor, it's the All Clear," Amy called walking over to them. "You two okay?"

He turned to their friend.

"What does hate look like, Amy?" he asked.

"Hate?" Amy inquired.

He eyed the Dalek as it swung its eyestalk around the room.

"It looks like a Dalek. And I'm going to prove it."

He strode across the room to the door. Rose followed with Amy right behind. She wasn't sure what he was planning, but whatever it was she knew it had something to do with stopping the Daleks and she wasn't about to let him face them on his own.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	20. Victory of the Daleks Part 2

"All right, Prof," the Doctor said as he stepped into Bracewell's laboratory. "Now the PM's been filling me in." He picked up a monkey wrench as he passed by a desk. _Could do with that._ "Amazing things these Ironsides of yours. Amazing." He picked up a folder and glanced at it. Had to do with the Daleks. "You must be very proud of them."

"Just doing my bit," Bracewell said as he worked on a device that was sitting on his desk.

The Doctor looked over the folder.

"Not bad for a Paisley boy," Amy commented.

He sat down and opened the file, looking over the field tests. _Ironsides. _They weren't Ironsides, of course, they were Daleks. He knew it and so did Rose. He glanced at her. She was standing next to him watching the creatures distrustfully. She had enough reasons to dislike them. He turned back to the documents in the folder.

"Yes, I thought I detected a familiar cadence, my dear," Bracewell said.

"How did you do it? Come up with the idea?" the Doctor asked, looking over at the scientist.

Bracewell was involved, had to be, only, the Doctor wasn't sure why. He seemed nice enough, but that could be for show. Had the Daleks promised him something in return?

Bracewell took a few steps toward him.

"Well, how does the muse of invention come to anyone?" the scientist asked.

"But you get a lot of these clever notions, do you?" the Doctor asked, tossing the folder back on the desk.

"Well, ideas just seem to teem from my head. Wonderful things, like…" Bracewell crossed the room to another desk, reaching for a folder. Amy was next to the scientist looking over some devices. "Let me show you." The Doctor stood up and crossed the room with Rose. "Some musings on the potential of hypersonic flight." Bracewell said, indicating the folder. The Doctor took it from him and glanced over it as the scientist picked up another folder. "Gravity bubbles that can sustain life outside of the terrestrial atmosphere." The Doctor took that folder as well and read over it. "Came to me in the bath."

That was beyond what Bracewell should be able to do, especially given the time period they were in. No, he couldn't have done it on his own.

"And are these your ideas or theirs?" he asked.

"Oh no, no, no. These Robots are entirely under my control, Doctor," the scientist insisted as one of the Daleks wheeled up to him carrying a tray with a cup of tea. "They are..." Bracewell took the tea. "Thank you. The perfect servant, and the perfect warrior."

"I don't know what you're up to, Professor," The Doctor said, leaning in and catching Bracewell's eye. "…but whatever they've promised, you cannot trust them. Call them what you like, the Daleks are death."

"Yes, Doctor," Winston said, striding into the room. "Death to our enemies. Death to the forces of darkness, and death to the Third Reich."

"And death to everyone else," Rose commented.

The Doctor glanced at her, giving her a smile. She knew exactly what was going on. The Daleks weren't there to help, they wanted something and when they got it they'd turn on Winston and everyone else.

"WOULD YOU CARE FOR SOME TEA?" a Dalek asked, offering the Doctor a cup.

That was it. He couldn't keep his anger in any longer. He knocked the tray to the floor. Amy jumped, but Rose stood beside him, glaring at the creature.

"Stop this!" he yelled, advancing on the Dalek. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

He was finished with their games. He would have the reason they came there, what they were after, one way or the other.

"WE SEEK ONLY TO HELP YOU," the Dalek said.

Help! They never helped. They killed, that's what they did.

"To do what?" he asked.

"TO WIN THE WAR."

"Really? Which war?"

"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND."

"This war, against the Nazis, or your war? The war against the rest of the Universe? The war against all life forms that are not Dalek?"

"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. I AM YOUR SOLDIER."

"You might as well drop the act mate," Rose said, stepping towards it, he put his hand out to keep her from getting too far. He was angry, vengeful even, but he knew how dangerous they were. It was one thing for him to risk being killed, but he wasn't about to let her get that close. She leaned toward it. "They might not remember you, but I do, yeah? You don't fool me."

"I AM YOUR SOLDIER," the Dalek repeated.

"Oh, yeah? Okay. Okay," he turned around, pushing Rose out of the way as he grabbed a large wrench, and lifted it, turning back. "Okay, soldier, defend yourself."

He swung the wrench and struck the Dalek. Once.

"Doctor, what the devil?" Winston demanded.

Twice.

"YOU DO NOT REQUIRE TEA?"

Three times.

"Stop him! Prime Minister, please," Bracewell called.

"Doctor, what the devil? Please, these machines are precious," Winston insisted.

Four.

"Come on!" the Doctor yelled. "Fight back!" He grabbed the Dalek's eyestalk and turned it to face him. "You want to, don't you? You know you do."

He could see that Amy was afraid, but Rose looked ready for a fight. Yes, because she knew, as he knew, how dangerous they were. That they weren't Bracewell's Ironsides. They were Daleks.

He swung the wrench again, striking the creature.

"I must protest," Bracewell insisted.

"What are you waiting for?" he demanded. "Look, you hate me. You want to kill me. Well, go on. Kill me." He struck the Dalek again. "Kill me!"

Rose grabbed his arm. Maybe he stepped over the line, but he didn't care. He had to prove to everyone, to Amy, to Winston, what they really were before they put their plan in motion. Before they killed everyone.

"Doctor, don't," Rose said, pulling him back a few steps, but he shrugged her off.

"PLEASE DESIST FROM STRIKING ME. I AM YOUR SOLDIER."

"You are my enemy!" he yelled, striking the Dalek over and over. "And I am yours!" He leaned toward the creature's eyestalk. "You are everything I despise. The worst thing in all creation. I've defeated you time and time again. I've defeated you. I sent you back into the Void. I saved the whole of reality from you. I am the Doctor. And you are the Daleks."

He jumped up and kicked the Dalek. It wheeled backwards only stopping when it struck a table. Its eyestalk swung around, training on him.

"CORRECT," the Dalek said. "REVIEW TESTIMONY," it said as it swung it's eyestalk to the other Dalek next to it.

"I am the Doctor. And you are the Daleks," a recording of the Doctor's voice called out.

"Doctor, what're they doing?" Rose asked, glancing from the Daleks to him.

"Testimony. What are you talking about, testimony?" he asked.

"TRANSMITTING TESTIMONY NOW."

They needed his words, but why? And where were they transmitting them to? A ship, had to be, but why did they need a recording of him?

"Transmit what, where?" he demanded.

"TESTIMONY ACCEPTED."

They had what they came for, which now made them dangerous and deadly. He put his arms out, one in front of Rose and moved them all back, away from the Daleks.

"Get back, all of you," he warned.

"Marines! Marines, get in here," Winston called.

Two Marines ran through the door. They didn't stand a chance. The Daleks fired, killing both men. Amy gasped.

"Stop it, stop it, please," Bracewell insisted. The Daleks swung around to look at him. "What are you doing? You are my Ironsides."

"WE ARE THE DALEKS."

"But I created you."

"NO." The Dalek fired a blast, striking Bracewell's left hand. It disintegrated, leaving only a few sparking wires in his wrist. "WE CREATED YOU."

Oh, didn't expect that. The Doctor thought he was working with the Daleks, but they created him and he was working for them without even knowing it. That was…unexpected. Daleks didn't do that sort of thing.

"VICTORY. VICTORY. VICTORY."

The Daleks teleported.

"What just happened, Doctor?" Amy asked.

"I wanted to know what they wanted. What their plan was. I was their plan."

The Doctor ran out of the room.

"Hey!" Amy called, but he ignored her as he raced down the corridor and back to his TARDIS.

He had to get to their ship. Stop them before they succeeded. He wasn't sure why they needed his testimony, but he knew it was bad, not only for Earth, but for all life forms everywhere.

"Testimony Accepted. That's what they said. My testimony," the Doctor said as he ran through the door and down the steps into the filing room while he pulled out his TARDIS key.

"Don't beat yourself up because you were right," Amy said, following him. He slid the key into the lock and opened the TARDIS door. "So, what do we do? Is this what we do now? Chase after them?"

"This is what I do," the Doctor said, turning around and walking toward her and Rose. "Yeah, and it's dangerous, so you two wait here."

"What do you mean, _you two_?" Rose asked, stepping toward him, her hands going to her hips. "If you think I'm going to wait here while you-"

He grabbed her shoulders, gazing into her eyes. She was upset, but he wasn't going to take a chance that something might happen to her.

"I've just got you back. I'm not going to chance losing you again."

"So, what? Every time there's danger you're going to go off on your own?" she snapped.

"If that's what it takes to keep you safe, then yes."

She pushed his hands off her shoulders, glaring at him.

"Well, you can forget it! I'm coming and that's final!" she insisted.

"No you're not!" he yelled.

"While you're arguing about this the Daleks could be getting ready to destroy the planet! What's more important, Doctor, arguing with me or stopping them?"

"Fine," he snapped, turning around. "But you're waiting in the TARDIS."

"What?" Amy asked, making him turn back. "She gets to go and I've got to stay safe down here in the middle of the London Blitz?"

"Safe as it gets around me," he said.

"How come I have to be safe and she gets to go with you?"

"You know she has a-" Rose began, but he cut her off by grabbing her arm and forcing her into the TARDIS.

"Because you do," he replied, glancing back at Amy before stepping inside and closing the door.

He passed Rose as he ran over to the console and began running a scan for the Daleks' ship. She crossed the room to join him, but he kept his gaze on the readings.

"So, what's your plan?" she asked.

"You stay in the TARDIS and I stop them," he snapped, still upset that she forced him to bring her when he wanted her to stay safely back on Earth with Amy.

"Doctor."

He eyed her.

"Rose, I'm serious."

"Look, you're worried about something happening to me, yeah?" He glanced at her. She had that look, the one that used to make him do whatever she wanted, but he wasn't going to let her run into a ship that could be filled with Daleks. "But if I stayed inside the TARDIS every time there's danger I might as well not leave." He was okay with that. "This is what we do. Don't ask me to give it up when I've just got it back."

He growled in frustration, running a hand over his eyes. She was right, of course. This was what they'd done together. What they'd always done. But these were Daleks, but she'd faced Daleks with him. He slammed his hand into the console. And then she was there, taking his arm, leaning her cheek against his shoulder.

"Shiver and Shake, remember?" she asked.

He glanced at her. She was giving him that smile. The one that belonged to him. His anger drained away. He was still worried, but she was right. They'd always been a team. The TARDIS dinged, indicating the ship was located. He glanced at the monitor.

"Bingo!"

She laughed and he couldn't help laughing with her. He flipped the lever and a few moments later they were materializing on the Dalek's ship.

"I just need…" he raced into the kitchen, retrieved a Jammy Dodger and then ran back into the control room.

"You're going to eat now?" Rose asked, raising her brow.

"This is to stop the Daleks killing us."

"Sorry? How's a biscuit going to keep them from killing us?"

He gave her a smile as he raced over to the doors.

"You'll see."

Then he opened it and stepped out. He walked down the short hall with Rose trailing.

"How about that cuppa now, then?" he asked, stepping into the Dalek ship's control room.

"IT IS THE DOCTOR," A gold Dalek said. "EXTERMINATE."

"Wait, wait, wait." The Doctor said, reaching into his inside pocket and pulling out the Jammy Dodger. "I wouldn't if I were you." He brandished the biscuit. "TARDIS self-destruct, and you know what that means. My ship goes, you all go with it."

"YOU WOULD NOT USE SUCH A DEVICE," one of the Ironside Daleks said.

"Try me."

"YOU WOULD NOT KILL YOUR COMPANION."

"You want to bet on that, mate?" Rose asked, taking a step forward, but he put his arm out to stop her going too far.

The other Ironside Dalek rolled forward.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. No scans. No nothing. One move and I'll destroy us all. You got that? TARDIS bang bang. Daleks boom!" The Dalek rolled back into place with the other two. "Good boy." He walked around the control room, looking over the monitors and controls. "This ship's pretty beaten up. Running on empty, I'd say, like you." He crossed the room toward them. Rose followed him. "When we last met, you were at the end of your rope. Finished."

His oldest enemy. An enemy he thought he'd destroyed countless times, but they survived. They always survived. He wanted them finished. Gone. For good. Anger burned through his heart at the sight of them because everything he'd done, everything, was for nothing if they were still there.

"ONE SHIP SURVIVED."

"And you fell back through time, yes. Crippled, dying."

"WE PICKED UP A TRACE. ONE OF THE PROGENITOR DEVICES."

That must be the device behind them. It was some type of cabinet with a golden egg shaped device inside. Lights were racing up and down the egg shaped device, which meant it was working, which was really not good.

"Progenitor? What's that when it's at home?"

"IT IS OUR PAST, AND OUR FUTURE."

"Oh? That's deep. That is deep for a Dalek. What does it mean, though?"

"IT CONTAINS PURE DALEK DNA. THOUSANDS WERE CREATED. ALL WERE LOST, SAVE ONE."

"Okay, but there's still one thing I don't get, though. If you've got the Progenitor, why build Bracewell?"

Building Bracewell was the thing that threw him off. Daleks didn't do that sort of thing, building humans, even if he wasn't human.

"IT WAS NECESSARY."

"But why?" Oh. Then he realized why. "I get it. Oh, I get it. I get it. Oh ho! This is rich," he clapped his hands together as he laughed.

"What? What is it?" Rose asked.

"The progenitor wouldn't recognize them," he turned to the Daleks, "Would it? It saw you as impure. Your DNA is unrecognizable as Daleks"

"A SOLUTION WAS DEVISED."

"Yes, yes, yes. Me. My testimony," he began pacing, working through everything. "So you set a trap. You knew that the Progenitor would recognize me, the Daleks' greatest enemy. It would accept my word. My recognition of you."

"Doctor," Rose said, interrupting him.

He turned around to find one of the Daleks at a control panel. He held out the Jammy Dodger, threateningly.

"No. No, no. What are you doing?"

"WITHEDRAW, NOW, DOCTOR, OR THE CITY DIES IN FLAMES," the gold Dalek ordered.

"Who are you kidding? This ship is a wreck. You don't have the power to destroy London."

"WATCH AS THE HUMANS DESTROY THEMSELVES."

Destroy themselves? What did that…Oh. That was bad.

"What did they do, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Turn those lights off now. Turn London off or I swear I will use the TARDIS self destruct," he growled.

"STALEMATE, DOCTOR. LEAVE US AND RETURN TO EARTH."

"Oh, that's it. That's your great victory? You leave?"

They were just going to leave? They never just left. That's not what they did.

"EXTINCTION IS NOT AN OPTION. WE SHALL RETURN TO OUR OWN TIME AND BEGIN AGAIN."

No, he couldn't let them do that. He'd fought them too many times and had them slip through his fingers. Not again.

"No, no, no. I won't let you get away this time. I won't," he insisted.

"Doctor," Rose said.

He could hear the worry in her voice, but he couldn't let them go. Not this time.

"No, I won't let them get away again."

"Amy's down there."

Yes, Amy was down there, yes, London was lit up like a Christmas tree, but he couldn't let the Daleks get away. Not again. Not this time.

"I know, Rose, now just…shut it!" he snapped.

"ROSE?" one of the Ironsides asked.

"ROSE TYLER?" the gold Dalek inquired.

He glanced from them to her. Rose Tyler? How did they know her name? The Daleks knew him, but never any of his companions.

"Yeah, what of it?" she asked.

"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE ROSE TYLER!"

He raised the Jammy Dodger as he stepped in front of her.

"Stop it! Stop! Stop now! I will use the TARDIS self destruct!" he yelled.

The Daleks knew Rose, more than that they wanted to kill her and by the sounds of it, they wanted to kill her as much as they wanted to kill him. They might've remembered her from the Crucible, but they didn't recognize her. They didn't know who she was until he said her name.

"How do you know her?"

"ROSE TYLER WILL DESTROY THE SILENCE."

"The Silence? What's that then, and what do you mean she'll destroy it?"

"ROSE TYLER WILL DESTORY THE SILENCE."

"Yeah, got that, but what does that mean?"

A sound emanated from the Progenitor cabinet. The Daleks swung their eyestalks around, focusing their attention on it.

"WE HAVE SUCCEEDED. DNA RECONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE. OBSERVE, DOCTOR, A NEW DALEK PARADIGM."

"Doctor, what's in there? What's inside that cabinet?" Rose asked.

He had an idea and he knew in a moment he'd find out. The Daleks glided away from the Progenitor cabinet. The Doctor watched as the doors slid open.

"OBSERVE, DOCTOR, A NEW DALEK PARADIGM."

A white Dalek glided out first, larger than any he'd seen before and completely restyled. A new Dalek. It was followed by four others, each a different color. New Daleks for a new future. He couldn't let them get away, couldn't let them survive.

"THE PROGENITOR HAS FULFILLED OUR NEW DESTINY. BEHOLD, THE RESTORATION OF THE DALEKS. THE RESURRECTION OF THE MASTER RACE."

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are appreciated. :)**


	21. Victory of the Daleks Part 3

Rose stood next to the Doctor as the new Daleks rolled out of the Progenitor cabinet. They were a bit larger, newly styled, and, if it was possible, more frightening than the previous versions. Pure Daleks.

"ALL HAIL THE NEW DALEKS. ALL HAIL THE NEW DALEKS," one of the Ironsides exclaimed.

The White Dalek swung its eyestalk, training it on the Ironside.

"YES, YOU ARE INFERIOR," the white Dalek said. Its voice was deeper, devoid of emotion.

"YES."

"THEN PREPARE."

"WE ARE READY."

The blue Dalek swung around, pointing its laser at the old Daleks.

"CLEANSE THE UNCLEAN. TOTAL OBLITERATION. DISINTEGRATE."

The blue one fired on the first Ironside, disintegrating it. The Doctor' s hand shot out in front of her, protectively as he took a step back. She stepped back as well. The gold Dalek was next, disintegrating from another blast. The blue Dalek swung around to the last Ironside. Disintegrating that one as well.

The new Daleks killed the old ones because they weren't Dalek enough. These new ones were worse than any Daleks she'd ever faced. She caught the Doctor's shocked look and was pretty sure her face mirrored his.

"Blimey. What do you do to the ones who mess up?" the Doctor asked and she could hear the concern in his voice.

The white Dalek trained its eyestalk on him. It rolled forward.

"YOU ARE THE DOCTOR. YOU MUST BE EXTERMINATED."

The Doctor pulled out the Jammy Dodger, brandishing it like a weapon.

"Don't mess with me, sweetheart," he said, making her smile because it was something only the Doctor would say in this situation. He eyed the White Dalek. "So, just me then? Because those other three seemed pretty adamant about exterminating her."

Bring that back up. She glanced at him.

"WE ARE DALEKS. DALEKS DO NOT BELIEVE IN PROPHESIES. WE ARE THE PARADIGM OF A NEW DALEK RACE. SCIENTIST, STRATEGIST, DRONE, ETERNAL, AND THE SUPREME."

"Which would be you, I'm guessing. Well, you know, nice paint job. I'd be feeling pretty swishy if I looked like you. Pretty supreme. The Question is, what do we do now? Either you turn off your clever machine or I'll blow you and your new paradigm into eternity."

"AND YOURSELF AS WELL AS YOUR COMPANION."

"Occupational Hazard."

"SCAN REVEALS NOTHING. TARDIS SELF DESTRUCT DEVICE NON-EXISTENT."

Oh, this was bad. They knew he didn't have a weapon and now there was nothing to stop the Daleks from killing them. The Doctor took a bite of the Jammy Dodger and, even facing death, she couldn't help smiling.

"All right, it's a Jammy Dodger, but I was promised tea," the Doctor said.

An alarm sounded throughout the ship. Rose looked around, trying to locate the problem.

"ALERT. UNIDENTIFIED PROJECTILE APPROACHING," the blue Dalek said. The Doctor turned around, racing over to a monitor. Rose joined him. "CORRECTION, MULTIPLE PROJECTILES."

The Screen showed a red dot getting closer.

"WHAT HAVE THE HUMANS DONE?" the white Dalek demanded.

"I don't know," the Doctor said, surprised, but the good sort of surprised.

"EXPLAIN. EXPLAIN. EXPLAIN," the white Dalek said as it swung around to face them.

"Danny Boy to the Doctor. Danny Boy to the Doctor," a voice said inside the ship. Rose looked up and turned around with the Doctor. "Are you receiving me? Over."

Who was that? It sounded like…but it couldn't be. They didn't have the technology…and then she remembered Bracewell and all his ideas.

"Yes!" she shouted, giving the Doctor a smile he returned.

"Oh, ho! Winston, you beauty!" the Doctor exclaimed.

Reinforcements and just in time.

"Danny Boy to the Doctor. Com in. Over."

"Loud and clean, Danny Boy. Big dish, side of the ship. Blow it up. Over."

The white Dalek swung around, training its laser on him. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and they were running for the TARDIS.

"EXTERMINATE THE DOCTOR."

A laser struck near them, but they kept going. Down the short hall and into the TARDIS. The Doctor closed the door and they both leaned back for a moment. She looked at him, he was smiling, gazing back at her. She grinned. Just like old times.

Then he jumped up and raced over to the control panel. A moment later she could hear the soldiers, working at trying to blow up that dish only the Daleks' shields were keeping them from hitting the dish. One of the fighters went down, struck by the Daleks' weapons. Then another.

She glanced at the Doctor. His face had fallen and she knew he was taking the burden for their deaths, that's what he did. She took his hand. He gave her a sideways glance and his expression didn't change, but she felt him grip her hand a bit tighter.

"Danny boy to the Doctor. Only me left now. Anything you can do, sir? Over," one of the fighter's asked.

The Doctor picked up a communicator in the console.

"The Doctor to Danny Boy. The Doctor to Danny Boy. I can disrupt the Dalek shields, but not for long. Over."

"Good show, Doctor. Go to it. Over."

"Flip that lever over there," he said, as he began flipping levers and pushing buttons.

Rose raced over and flipped the lever he indicated. He began winding some sort of crank.

"I'm going in, wish me luck," Danny Boy said through the speakers.

She crossed her fingers, watching the monitor with the Doctor. The red dot drew closer and the merged with the larger one, which she knew was Danny Boy going in to destroy the dish under the ship.

"Yes!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Direct hit!"

And in the next moment he picked her up, spun her around, and set her back down. She laughed.

"You're mad," she said, smiling as she gazed into his eyes.

"Yep, mad man in a box, that's me," he replied, smiling as he held her gaze.

"Danny boy to the Doctor. I'm going in for another attack," Danny boy said.

The Doctor released her and picked up the communicator.

"The Doctor to Danny Boy. The Doctor to Danny Boy. Destroy this ship. Over."

"What about you two, Doctor?"

He glanced at Rose, giving her a smile.

"We'll be okay," he replied.

The white Dalek appeared on another the monitor.

"DOCTOR, CALL OFF YOUR ATTACK," the Dalek demanded.

"Ah ha. What?" the Doctor asked, crossing the room to stand in front of the monitor. "And let you scuttle off back to the future? No fear. This is the end for you. The final end."

"CALL OFF THE ATTACK, OR WE WILL DESTROY THE EARTH."

"I'm not stupid, mate. You've just played your last card."

"BRACEWELL IS A BOMB."

What? She crossed the room to stand next to the Doctor. A bomb? How could he be a bomb?

"You're bluffing. Deception's second nature to you. There isn't a sincere bone in your body. There isn't a bone in your body," the Doctor said, but she could tell he wasn't as sure as he was trying to sound.

"HIS POWER IS DERIVED FROM AN OBLIVION CONTINUUM. CALL OFF YOUR ATTACK, OR WE WILL DETONATE THE ANDRIOD."

His expression became a combination of fear and disbelief. Daleks didn't bluff, at least none of the ones she'd met. If they were telling the truth…Amy! She was back there with them, with Bracewell, with the bomb.

"Ah, no," he said, turning around and walking back to the console. "This is my best chance ever. The last of the Daleks." She crossed the room toward him. Was he really considering killing the Daleks over saving the Earth and everyone on it? Over saving Amy? "I can rid the Universe of you, once and for all."

"Doctor, you can't," she said, he glanced at her and then back to the small monitor on the console where the image of the white Dalek stared back at them.

"THEN DO IT. BUT WE WILL SHATTER THE PLANET BELOW. THE EARTH WILL DIE SCREAMING."

"Yeah, and if I let you go, you'll be stronger than ever. A new race of Daleks."

There were unshed tears in his eyes and she knew he was torn, but this shouldn't even be a choice. It'd never been a choice before. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"Doctor," she tried again.

"THEN CHOOSE, DOCTOR. DESTROY THE DALEKS OR SAVE THE EARTH. BEGIN COUNTDOWN OF THE OBLIVION CONTINUUM. CHOOSE, DOCTOR. CHOOSE. CHOOSE."

"Doctor, Amy's down there. Everyone's down there," she continued.

"And what about the Daleks? I can't just let them go! I can end them, right here, right now!" he snapped, rounding on her.

"Doctor, saving people has to come first. Not killing. Not revenge. That's not who you are," she insisted, catching his eye.

He stared into her eyes, searchingly for a few moments, then he sighed, and reached for the communicator.

"The Doctor to Danny Boy. The Doctor to Danny Boy. Withdraw."

"Say again, sir. Over."

"Withdraw. Return to Earth. Over and out."

"But sir."

"There's no time. You have to return to Earth now. Over."

He started up the Time Rotor and began racing around, flipping levers. She watched him. How long had he traveled on his own before he found her? Long enough to start changing. Well, she'd put an end to that.

The TARDIS materialized and the Doctor raced across the control room and out the door. She followed, closely, wondering what he was planning. He ran into the Map Room and punched Bracewell in the jaw, knocking the scientist down. Well, not entirely what she expected. Actually, not at all what she expected.

"Doctor!" Amy exclaimed.

"Oh, ow!" the Doctor yelled, shaking his hand. "Sorry, Professor, you're a bomb. An inconceivably massive Dalek bomb."

"What?" Bracewell asked in concern.

"There's an Oblivion Continuum inside you. A captured wormhole that provides perpetual power. Detonate that, and the Earth will bleed through," he reaching into his pocket and pulled out his sonic, "into another dimension. Now keep down."

The Doctor bent down, pulled the scientist's shirt open, popping some of the buttons off in the process, and then used his sonic on Bracewell's chest. The scientist's chest slid apart to reveal the metal android beneath. There was a circular device in his chest with five segments emanating a blue light. The first segment changed from blue to yellow, which told Rose that the Daleks had activated him.

"Well?" Amy asked.

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know," the Doctor said, lifting his sonic and looking at the readings. "Never seen one up close before."

"So what, they've wired him up to detonate?"

"Oh no, not wired him up. He is a bomb. Walking, talking, pow," he gestured with his hands miming and explosion, "exploding, the moment that flashes red."

There had to be some way to stop it. Something they could do. The Doctor was worried and that wasn't good. If he was worried then that meant he wasn't sure how to stop it.

"There's a blue wire or something you have to cut, isn't there?" Amy asked as the Doctor stood up. "There's always a blue wire. Or a red one."

He eyed her.

"You're not helping."

"Can't you use your sonic to deactivate it?" Rose asked.

She knew it was a long shot and something he'd probably already thought about, but she had no idea what else they could try.

"Possibly, only…" the Doctor trailed off with a look that told her whatever came after the _only _was why he hadn't tried it.

"Only what?"

"Only that might speed things up. He explodes and…well…you know the rest."

The Doctor tossed the sonic from one hand to the other, repeatedly, as he tried to work out how to stop Bracewell from exploding. He was more than worried.

"Okay, then, there has to be something we can do. Some way to stop it, deactivate it," Rose said.

"It's incredible. He talked to us about his memories. The Great War," Churchill said in disbelief.

"Someone else's stolen thoughts, implanted in a positronic brain. Tell me about it. Bracewell. Tell me about your life," the Doctor said, bending down next to the scientist.

"Doctor, I really don't think this is the time."

"Tell me, and prove you're human. Tell me everything."

Rose crouched down next to the Doctor, giving Bracewell a smile as she set her hand on his shoulder, hoping to make him feel more at ease about sharing his life with them.

"My family ran the Post Office. It's a little place just near the abbey," the yellow segment had turned red and another blue segment changed to yellow. "just by the ash trees. There used to be eight trees, but there was a storm."

The Doctor motioned for him to hurry things along.

"And your parents? Come on, tell me."

"Good people. Kind people. They died. Scarlet fever."

"What was that like? How did it feel? How did it make you feel, Edwin? Tell me. Tell me now."

"It hurt. It hurt, Doctor, it hurt so badly," she gripped his shoulder a bit tighter. He might be an android, but to him those memories were real. "It was like a wound. I thought it was worse than a wound." The second yellow segment changed to red and another blue turned yellow. There wasn't much time left, but still, making him remember all that was awful. "Like I'd been emptied out. There was nothing left."

"Good. Remember it now, Edwin. The ash trees by the Post Office and your mum and dad, and losing them, and men in the trenches you saw die. Remember it. Feel it. You feel it because you're human. You're not like them. You're not like the Daleks."

The third yellow segment changed to red.

"It hurts. It hurts, Doctor. It hurts so much."

Rose's eyes filled with tears. She knew the Doctor thought this would diffuse the bomb, but still, it wasn't right.

"Good. Good, good, brilliant. Embrace it." The fourth blue segment turned yellow. Only one left. "That means you're alive. They cannot explode that bomb because you're a human being. You are flesh and blood. They cannot explode that bomb. Believe it. You are Professor Edwin Bracewell, and you, my friend, are a human being."

The forth segment turned red. It wasn't working. The Doctor was drawing emotions out, but they weren't strong enough. The last segment changed to yellow. She glanced at the Doctor. He caught her gaze.

"It's not working. I can't stop it," he said.

Amy bent down on the other side of Bracewell.

"Hey, Paisley," Amy said, taking his hand. "Ever fancied someone you know you shouldn't?"

"What?" Bracewell asked, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" The last segment had been darkening, turning red, but it changed back to yellow. The girl was onto something. This might actually work. Amy glanced at the Doctor and Rose caught the look in her eyes. "But kind of a good hurt."

Normally, Rose wouldn't be too happy about that sort of look directed at the Doctor. Her Doctor, but Amy had known him since she was a little girl, much like Madame Du Pompadour and she couldn't help smiling.

"I really shouldn't talk about her," Bracewell said.

"Oh. There's a her," Amy replied, as if he was sharing a secret with her.

The yellow segment changed back to blue.

"What was her name?" Rose asked.

"Dorabella," Bracewell said, looking at Rose, but she could tell he was seeing someone else, remembering the woman he loved.

"Dorabella?" the Doctor laughed. Rose slapped his arm. "It's a lovely name. It's a beautiful name."

"What was she like, Edwin?" Amy asked.

"Oh, such a smile and her eyes," Bracewell described, turning back to Amy as another segment changed back to blue. "Her eyes were so blue. Almost violet, like the last touch of sunset on the edge of the world. Dorabella."

The rest of the segments changed one after the other, all of them becoming blue.

"Welcome to the human race," the Doctor said. Then he sat up, snapping his fingers and pointing at Churchill. "You're brilliant." He pointed at Bracewell. "You're brilliant." Then Rose. "You're-"

"Brilliant, yeah? Been told," she teased, giving him a smile.

He smiled in return, then turned to Amy. "And you, I…" He kissed Amy's forehead. "Now," he took Rose's hand and pulled her up with him. "Come on. Got to stop them. Stop the Daleks."

He raced to the door, pulling her with him.

"Wait, Doctor," Bracewell said, sitting up. "Wait, wait." The Doctor stopped, turning around. "It's too late. Gone." The Doctor walked back into the room, dropping her hand. "They've gone."

"No. No!" He yelled, pacing in a circle. "They can't! They can't have got away from me again."

"No, I can feel it," Bracewell said, straightening his glasses. "My mind is clear. The Daleks have gone."

She looked at the Doctor. Anger, fear, despair. They were all present. She knew how he felt, what he felt. The Daleks had taken everything from him, his oldest enemies, and now they were gone. They'd gotten away again.

"Doctor, it's all right," Rose said, taking his arm, but he turned on her.

"They survived. They always survive," he said and there was such despair in his voice that it tore at her heart.

"But you did it. You stopped the bomb," Amy said, but he didn't answer. "Doctor?"

Rose held his arm a bit tighter, worried over him.

"I had a choice," he said, still with the despair in his voice.

He turned to her and she could see it in his eyes.

"And you made the right one," Rose replied, trying to get him to see that he'd done the right thing.

"They knew I'd choose the Earth. The Daleks have won. They beat me. They've won."

They didn't beat him. They got away, but that was different.

"But, you saved the Earth," Amy said. "That's not too shabby, is it?"

He glanced at her and then Rose. Then his gaze fell on everyone else in the room and he straightened up, smiling.

"No," he agreed. "It's not too shabby."

"It's a brilliant achievement, my dear friend," Churchill said, pulling a cigar from his inside pocket. "Here, have a cigar."

The Doctor waved it off.

"No."

He glanced at Rose and then took her hand, giving her a smile. She grinned, most likely, like an idiot and in front of everyone, but she didn't care. He was the Doctor, she was Rose, they were together and nothing else mattered.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	22. Victory of the Daleks - Afterward

The Doctor was sitting in the library, after having been shocked a few times when he was working on the TARDIS and then again when he fiddled with the console. Both Rose and Amy were in bed so he figured it would be safe in there. There was a lot on his mind and working helped him sort through that, but the TARDIS wasn't letting him work for some reason.

The things on his mind had to do with Rose and the fact that not only Liz Ten knew her, but so did the Daleks. That whole prophesy business with Rose destroying the Silence, which brought him back to what Prisoner Zero said. _Silence will fall, Doctor. Silence will fall. _Had the creature been talking about what Rose would do? Why did everyone know, but him?

"There you are," Rose said, her voice drawing him out of his thoughts.

He glanced up and his mind was once again wiped of all logical thought. She was crossing the room carrying two cups, but it was her outfit, similar to the one she wore last night only red this time, that erased his data core. Red was a brilliant color, he loved red. He shook his head. No, no, no. This was extremely, really not good.

"Why are you hiding in here?" she asked, setting the cups on the table and then flopping down next to him. Very, very close.

"I wasn't hiding, I was reading," he replied, indicating the book, though he couldn't remember the title.

"Really?" she asked, raising her brow.

"Yes, really."

"You were reading?"

Why was she finding it so hard to believe that he was reading? He'd been sitting in there reading, well, thinking actually, but he had a book.

"Yes, why?" he asked.

"You must be more talented than I thought," she teased.

"Sorry?"

"Reading upside down?"

He glanced at the book. It was upside down. She laughed.

"I was distracted," he miffed, closing the book and setting it on the table.

"By?"

Thinking about her, but he couldn't say that because then she'd want to know and he couldn't tell her, at least, not until he worked out what was going on.

"Stuff," he replied, trying, unsuccessfully, not to stare at her in that outfit.

"Distracted by stuff?" she asked, raising her brow.

He'd come into the library because she was supposed to be in bed. Not wondering around his ship again half…don't think that, don't think that. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" he asked.

"Can't sleep," she replied, offhandedly.

Wait. What? She had to be tired. Was there something wrong with her?

"That's two nights in a row."

"What can I say? I can't sleep if I'm not tired."

What if she was sick? What if she caught something and now…fear crept through his hearts.

"Maybe you're coming down with something," he said, reaching for his sonic.

She put her hand over his drawing his attention.

"I'm fine. Really." She raised his hand to her cheek, which was really not good. At least, really not good for him because her skin was soft. So, very, very soft. "See?"

"Yes, well, um, Best check," he said, cupping her cheeks and gazing into her eyes that were so hazel and so human and so beautiful. His thumb slid back and forth slowly across her cheek and he found himself leaning just a bit closer.

"See, I'm fine," she said, pulling him out of his trance as he realized how very close he was.

"Yes, beautiful, um," _What the hell did I just say? _"FINE, I met fine, was aiming for fine. You're fine."

"You didn't say fine," she teased inching a bit closer, which was extremely not good what with that outfit and what almost happened and…

"I, uh, I was distracted."

"And what exactly distracted you?"

"Um…you know…thoughts…THINGS. I MEAN STUFF. I meant stuff. I was distracted by stuff."

"You said thoughts."

He glanced around, trying to find some way to change the topic. His eyes landed on the table.

"TEA. You made tea," he picked up his cup. "Tea's brilliant. I love tea."

He took a drink.

"Like tea that much do you?" she asked.

He glanced at her and she was giving him that cheeky grin and he almost dropped his tea in his lap. She laughed. He set the tea on the table and wiped off the bit that landed on his leg.

"You're not playing fair," he said.

"Sorry…what?" she asked, as if she didn't know, but she had to. Second night in a row she walked around his TARDIS half…don't think that, don't think that. Why did he keep thinking that? He cleared his throat.

"So, did you want me…WAIT. NO. Hang on, I MEANT LOOKING were you looking for me for a particular reason?"

Why did he keep doing that? He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked, taking his arm and leaning close with that concerned look in her eyes, which was really, really, really, really, there weren't enough reallys in existence, not good.

"Of course I'm all right, I'm more than all right," he replied, barely resisting the urge to reach out and pull her to him. If she moved just a bit closer he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

"You don't seem all right. You seem a bit…off."

Yes, well, that would be because she was sitting so close that her thigh was touching his and he could feel the heat of her skin through his trousers and she was looking at him, leaning toward him. He rubbed his forehead.

"Look if there's something you want you can have me…NO! WAIT! I MEAN TELL ME. You can tell me. Is there something you want to tell me?"

_What the hell's wrong with me? _Well, he glanced over her. Yes, he knew what was wrong. Only he ought to be able to control himself. He could always control himself, but with her…

"I was wondering about the Daleks. How they knew me and what they said I'd do. Destroy the Silence. Do you know what that is?" she asked.

He knew he should lie, tell her he didn't, that's usually what he did, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to her.

"No, I don't know what it is, though I've heard it," he said.

"Heard what?" she asked.

"Silence will fall."

"Is that about me? About me destroying it?"

"I'm not sure. If I had to guess, I'd say it is."

"But what does that mean? I mean, what is the Silence?"

"I wish I knew."

She stared at him for a moment. Her eyes focusing on his and he couldn't help leaning a bit closer. Her eyes were so hazel and so-

"You're worried aren't you?" she asked.

Wait. Hang on. A question. She just asked a question. What was it? What did she ask? Worried. Yes, she thought he was worried, about something.

"About what?" he asked.

"About me," she said.

He smiled.

"I'm always worried about you."

"I can take care of myself, you know," she said, glaring at him, but he couldn't help noticing how her eyes lit up and the way her nose wrinkled just a bit.

"Oh, you can, can you?" he teased.

"I'm serious," she insisted.

"I bet you are."

She put her hand on his chest, leaning close, catching his gaze. He felt his hearts speed up. He reached up, resting his hand on her back as she leaned just a bit closer and…snapped his bracer. He jumped.

"Oi! That hurt," he yelled.

She laughed.

"You're such a girl."

"A girl am I?"

He reached out with both hands and tickled her.

"Doctor!" she yelled, trying to wriggle away, but he wasn't about to let that happen. "Doctor, stop!" She leaned back and in the next moment she was lying on the sofa with him on top of her and…

"What're you two doing?" Amy asked.

Amy! He looked over and tried to scramble off of Rose at the same time she was trying to slide out from under him and he slid off the sofa and landed on the floor. He sat up, glancing at the doorway where Amy was standing with a surprised look on her face.

"Um…nothing," he replied.

"Nothing?" the ginger asked, raising her brow. "That didn't look like nothing."

"It was…we were…" he glanced at Rose for help, but her cheeks were tinged a lovely shade of pink. Wait? Lovely? Um…yeah, definitely lovely. He stood up, straightening his suit. "Yes, nothing."

"Well," Amy said, a disbelieving look in her eyes, "If you two are done doing nothing you promised me a planet. Can we go to a planet now?"

Planet. Yes, he had promised Amy a planet though…he glanced at Rose…he'd much rather stay in the library, but she seemed to have come out of the teasing mood and her cheeks were still all pink, which was, indeed, lovely, on her. Well, yes, a planet. He turned and followed Amy out of the library sure that Rose would want to change. At least she better change because if she walked around like that he'd probably get arrested for striking the first bloke who looked at her.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	23. The Time of Angels Part 1

These episodes required the most rewriting I've had to do so far. Hopefully they came out well and you guys enjoy them. :)

* * *

She wondered around the museum with the Doctor. Amy wasn't at all happy about being there, but Rose knew something Amy didn't. Anything could happen, even in a museum. When she and the Doctor accidentally wound up in Van Statten's museum they'd found a Dalek being tortured.

The Doctor raced ahead of her from one exhibit to the next.

"Wrong," he said, looking at one. Then to the next. "Wrong." And another. "Bit right, mostly wrong." He gazed at her. "I love museums."

She laughed. He was completely mad. He'd always liked museums, and she knew why, but this regeneration seemed even more excited than the last.

"I remember," she said, running up to him.

"Yeah, great," Amy whined. "Can we go to a planet now? Big space ship? Churchill's bunker? You two promised me a planet next."

"Amy, this isn't any old asteroid. It's the Delerium Archive, the final resting place of the headless monks. The biggest museum ever."

"You've got a time machine. What do you need museums for?"

"Wrong!" he yelled, pointing at an exhibit. Then drew closer. "Very wrong." He raced over to another. "Ooo, one of mine." And the next one. "Also one of mine."

"Oh, I see. It's how you keep score," Amy said.

"Yep," Rose said, giving the girl a smile.

One exhibit in particular drew the Doctor's attention. An old metal box. She crossed the room to stand next to him as he leaned on the glass to get a better look. There were words carved on the box. _Hello Sweetie. _Why would someone carve those words into a metal box? And what was it doing in the museum? She was about to ask the Doctor when Amy raced across the room to join them, still annoyed.

"Oh great, an old box," the girl miffed.

"It's from one of the old starliners. A Home Box."

A Home Box?

"What's a Home Box?" Amy asked.

"Like a black box on a plane, except it homes. Anything happens to the ship, the Home Box flies home with all the flight data."

Amy looked completely bored and Rose couldn't help smiling.

"So?"

"The writing, the graffiti. Old High Gallifreyan. The lost language of the Time Lords."

Wait. What? Rose glanced at the words again. No, they were English. They looked like English. She could read them. Maybe they were being translated. Yes, that must be it.

"There were days, there were many days, these words could burn stars and raise up empires, and topple gods," he explained getting that wistful look.

"What does it say?" Amy asked.

Hang on. What? What did she mean, what's it say? She must be able to read it. The TARDIS was translating it…or was she? Rose glanced at the words. Was this like the Star Whale?

"Hello, sweetie," the Doctor replied.

She thought about telling him, even as they were running from the museum guards after he stole the Home Box, but someone sent him that message. It was written in the lost language of the Time Lords, which meant there was only one person that message could be for and the only reason someone would send the Doctor a message would be if they were in trouble. She couldn't distract him from that. After the trouble, then she could tell him.

**-0-**

Inside the TARDIS the Doctor hooked the Home Box up to the monitor.

"Why are we doing this?" Amy asked.

"Because someone on a spaceship twelve thousand years ago is trying to attract my attention. Let's see if we can get the security playback working," the Doctor replied.

Rose watched as a picture began to form on the monitor. A woman wearing a black dress and sunglasses. She pulled her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and winked at the camera. The Doctor fiddled with the connection and now the woman's back was to the camera as she stood in front of a door, like a door on a spaceship.

"The party's over, Doctor Song. Yet still you're on board," a man said. He wasn't in the camera view.

The woman turned around, facing the camera.

"Sorry, Alistair," the woman replied, in a teasing voice. "I needed to see what was in your vault. Do you all know what's down there? Any of you? Because I'll tell you something. This ship won't reach its destination."

"Wait till she runs. Don't make it look like an execution," the man said.

What? He was going to shoot her? Rose was glad she'd decided to wait to talk to the Doctor. Whoever that woman was, she was in trouble. The woman lifted her watch, looking at it.

"Triple seven five slash three four nine by ten zero twelve," she glanced at the camera, fixing her hair, "slash acorn." The Doctor ran over and began typing on the keypad. "Oh, and I could do with an air corridor."

"What was that? What did she say?" Amy asked, following the Doctor, but Rose was still watching the playback.

"Coordinates," the Doctor replied.

"Like I said on the dance floor, you might want to find something to hang on to," the woman said, blowing a kiss and then the door opened.

"Doctor," Rose called. "The door, the ship door she was standing in front of opened."

"Whoo!" he exclaimed and then ran over to the TARDIS doors and opened them, leaning out with his hand. A moment later the woman flew inside knocking him over in the process and they both wound up on the floor, her on top of him. Rose crossed the room toward them.

"Doctor?" Amy asked.

"River?" the Doctor inquired.

The woman shot up before Rose could offer to help her.

"Follow that ship," the woman ordered.

The Doctor called her River. Was that her name? River caught Rose's eye and gave her a smile.

"Wasn't interrupting anything was I?" the woman asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"Sorry?" Rose asked, not entirely sure what she meant.

She glanced at the Doctor and the word startled didn't even begin to cover the look on his face.

"Guess not," River said and then crossed the room, taking her shoes off on the way. She sat them on the jump-seat and then grabbed the monitor. The Doctor was racing around the console flipping levers, turning cranks, and pushing buttons. Rose walked over next to Amy as the girl leaned against the railing watching the Doctor pilot the TARDIS.

"They've gone into warp drive," River said. "We're losing them. Stay close."

"I'm trying," the Doctor snapped.

He seemed…well, irritated, but something else…worried? Possibly. Rose wasn't entirely sure because he was racing around the console too fast. She couldn't get a good look at his face.

"Rose, would you get over here and help him," River called, without looking up from the monitor.

Help him? Help him what? She gave the woman a questioning glance.

"Help me?" the Doctor asked, glancing at River.

The woman rolled her eyes.

"Whether you want to admit it or not, you know she's does a better job flying the TARDIS," River insisted.

The Doctor froze, completely and utterly froze.

"Sorry…what?" he asked with an expression that was both confused and…yes, a bit worried.

"Doctor, they're getting away," River snapped, then she eyed Rose with a completely exasperated look. "Rose, would you get over here. I don't know what's got into him."

"Rose, fly the TARDIS?" he laughed.

She crossed the room, drawn by his amusement at the idea. Why did he think it was so amusing? She had traveled with him longer than anyone. She'd helped him, occasionally, flipping a lever or pushing a button, but he hadn't actually taught her how to fly the TARDIS. The more she thought about it the more it seemed, to her, that he should've done.

"And what's wrong with that?" she demanded.

The laughter vanished as she glared at him. The Doctor became very busy with working the console. Much too busy to even glance at her. She heard him whisper the word _spoilers _to River at which time the woman glanced at her with a surprised look and then back to the Doctor and now Rose felt completely out of the loop, which immediately put her in a mood.

There was something going on between the two of them. Something that had to do with her and whatever it was they weren't sharing.

"Shouldn't you use the stabilizers?" River asked.

"There aren't any stabilizers," he snapped.

He was in a mood, well, so was she. Stabilizers? Two blue switches caught her eye. She reached out and switched them. The TARDIS stopped shaking.

"What'd you do?" the Doctor asked, eyeing her from the other side of the console.

"Flipped those blue switches," she replied, pointing at them.

He glanced from her to the switches and then back. Irritated. Yes, very.

"Why did you do that?" he demanded.

"I don't know," she said with a shrug. "I just felt like I ought to."

"You just felt like you ought to?"

"Yeah."

He was more annoyed than anything else, but she was still upset about him laughing at the idea of her flying the TARDIS. As if he was the only one who ought to pilot her.

"Doctor," River called interrupting them. "We're getting close. You should probably park her."

He turned back to the console and began flipping levers and pushing buttons, but there was one lever…one she felt shouldn't be flipped so she reached over and flipped it back.

"What did you touch?" the Doctor asked, giving her that annoyed look again as he glanced from her to the console, trying to figure out what she'd done.

"Nothing," she replied, dismissively.

He eyed the console and then her. He was like some bloke with a sports car. She rolled her eyes.

"You touched something," he insisted.

"We've landed," River said, drawing his attention.

"No, we can't have," he said, racing over to the monitor.

"Well, we have," River replied.

He looked at the monitor a bit stunned.

"But she didn't make the noise."

"What noise?"

"You know the…" he made a wheezing noise.

"I've never heard her make that noise. Are you sure?" River asked, giving him a disbelieving look.

"Course I'm sure. It's a brilliant noise. I love that noise." He turned back to Rose. "What did you do?"

He wasn't angry. At least, not exactly, more surprised and maybe just a bit worried. To be honest, she wasn't entirely all right herself. She knew she shouldn't know which buttons, switches, and levers to use. It was a bit unsettling. Only, his amusement at her flying the TARDIS kept her from saying.

"I told you Rose does a better job flying her," River said.

He rounded on the woman.

"Rose does not fly the TARDIS," he snapped.

"Whatever you say, sweetie." River gave Rose a wink, but now she was wondering what the hell that whole sweetie thing about. "Environment check," River called.

The Doctor gave the woman a highly irritated glance and then walked over to the door.

"Oh, yes, sorry. Quite right. Environment checks," he replied, in a _not happy at all _voice as he opened the door and looked out. "Nice out."

"We're somewhere in the Garn Belt," River continued as she gazed at the monitor. "There's an atmosphere. Early indication suggest that-"

"We're on Alfava Metraxis," the Doctor interrupted. "The seventh planet of the Dundra System. Oxygen rich atmosphere, all toxins in the soft band, eleven hour day and," he popped his head out and then back in, "chances of rain later."

"He thinks he's so hot when he does that," River said, eyeing Rose. "I can't believe you put up with him."

Rose couldn't help smiling. The Doctor caught her look and glanced between her and River, not at all happy. He walked over to the jump seat, moved River's shoes, and sat down, very annoyed.

"You didn't tell me that Rose can fly the TARDIS," Amy said, walking over to stand next to him while Rose crossed the room to the console, next to River.

"She can't," he replied.

"But she said-" Amy glanced at River.

"Spoilers," River replied. "Right then, why did they land here?"

The woman grabbed her pumps and walked toward the door. Rose followed as the Doctor stood up and trailed River.

"They didn't land," he replied.

"Sorry?" the woman asked.

"You should've checked the Home Box. It crashed."

River opened the door and stepped out, but when Rose started to follow her, he pulled her back inside and shut the door. Then he turned around, leaning his back against it as he eyed Rose. No longer upset just…worried. All of her anger over his amusement drained out of her at the sight.

"Right then, come along," he said, walking up to the console.

"Doctor," Rose asked as she followed him. "What's going on?"

He was worried and maybe a bit nervous. There was something going on, something to do with River and her, and, whatever it was, he was keeping it to himself.

"Yes, explain," Amy said, walking up to the other side of the Doctor. "Who is that and how did she do that museum thing?"

"Yeah, and how does she know me?" Rose inquired.

"It's a long story and I don't know most of it," he replied, working the console. "Off we go."

"What are you doing?" Rose asked.

So, he was just going to leave? River obviously needed his help and he was what…just going to go? He never did that. He never just left.

"Leaving." He flipped a few levers. "She's got where she wants to go, let's go where we want to go."

"Are you basically running away?" Amy asked.

"Yep."

"Why?" Rose inquired.

"Because she's the future." He caught her gaze. "Our future."

Hang on. What? Our future? What did that mean? Whatever he was hiding had to do with River and both of them.

"Wait. What do you mean _our _future?" she asked.

He rubbed his hand across his eyes in frustration.

"I can't say," he replied.

"Hang on," Amy interrupted. "Is that a planet out there?"

"Yes, of course it's a planet."

"You promised me a planet," Amy said in excitement. "Five minutes?"

She gave him a pleading look.

"No, we're leaving," he replied without looking up.

"Oh, come on, Doctor. We did promise her," Rose said, taking his arm and giving him her own pleading look.

Amy wanted to see a new planet, but Rose wanted to find out more about River and who she was. There were far too many unanswered questions and the fact that the Doctor knew more than he was saying didn't sit well with her. She knew he wouldn't say, but maybe River would.

He glanced from Rose to Amy and all of his resolve crumbled. She could see it in his eyes. He sighed.

"Okay, five minutes," he agreed.

"Yes!" Amy squealed, turning on the spot and running for the doors.

Rose ran after her.

"But that's all," he insisted, following them, "because I'm telling you now, that woman is not dragging me into anything." Amy dashed out the door, but the Doctor caught Rose's arm. He eyed her, shaking his finger for emphasis. "And that goes double for you."

She wasn't entirely sure what he was getting at, but he opened the door without waiting for an answer and she stepped out. The ship they'd been following had crashed into a massive temple that had been carved into the cliff face. Fire and smoke billowed from it.

River was standing a few feet away staring at the ship. Rose walked over to her with the Doctor staying close, almost as if he didn't want them alone together. Well, that was going to make prying information out of River a bit harder than she thought.

"What caused it to crash?" the woman asked. "Not me."

"Nah, the airlocks would've sealed seconds after you blew it," the Doctor dismissed. "According to the Home Box, the warp engines had a phasing shift. No survivors."

"A phase shift, would have to be sabotage." River glanced from him to Rose and then she opened her purse. "I did warn them."

"About what?" he asked.

"Well, at least the building was empty." She dug a communicator out of her purse and then snapped it shut. "Aplan temple. Unoccupied for centuries."

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Amy asked, walking over to stand next to them.

"Amy Pond, Professor River Song," he introduced, though not at all happy about it.

"Ah," River gasped in surprise, eyeing him. "I'm going to be a Professor some day, am I? How exciting." She started working the communicator. "Spoilers."

Hang on. He knew she was going to be a professor…no, he thought she was because…

"So, you met her when she was a Professor?" Rose asked, looking at him and then glanced at River. "But you're not one yet?"

"Spoilers," River repeated, giving her a smile.

"But she just left you a note in a museum," Amy said.

"Actually, the note wasn't for him," River replied as she typed into the communicator.

"Hang on," the Doctor said, staring at River. "What do you mean, it wasn't met for me? It was written in Gallifreyan."

"Yes, I know."

"If it wasn't for me then who was it for?"

River gave him a smile. Rose had an idea who the note was meant for, but that was something she didn't want to share at the moment because there was a possibility that the Doctor would load her and Amy back in the TARDIS and then she wouldn't get the answers she wanted.

"Spoilers," River replied and then glanced up at the ship. "There's one survivor. There's a thing in the belly of that ship," The woman said, catching his eye, "that can't ever die." He turned around with that look, the one that told Rose they were definitely staying. River glanced at her, smiling. "Now he's listening." A beeping sound emanated from the communicator. River held it up to her ear and stepped away. "You lot in orbit yet? Yeah, I saw it land. I'm at the crash site. Try and home in on my signal."

Amy walked over to join the Doctor, but Rose stood there, watching the woman, trying to work out everything she learned, which wasn't much. River knew her, her and the Doctor. He'd met her before, but not this version, a future version. After she became a professor. There was something he didn't like about her though or didn't trust. That was evident. And the message, she said it wasn't for the Doctor. Was it for Rose? Did River know she could read Gallifreyan? And who taught River the lost language of the Time Lords?

"Rose," the woman called, drawing her attention. River raised her communicator. "Can you boost the signal so we can use it as a beacon?"

What? Boost the signal? How was she supposed to do that?

"Sorry?" Rose asked.

"With your sonic."

"My what?"

River raised her brow with a surprised look.

"Very early days." The woman glanced at the Doctor. "Doctor?"

He pulled out his sonic in annoyance and pointed it at River, then held down the button. River gave him a curtsey as he slid his sonic back into his pocket.

"What does she mean, Rose's sonic?" Amy asked. "Does she have a sonic too?"

"No, she does not have a sonic," he snapped, drawing Rose's attention.

Why was he so upset at the idea? It was flying the TARDIS all over again.

"We have a minute. Shall we?" River called, glancing at Rose.

The woman pulled out some kind of book. She walked toward River. The book was TARDIS blue and the design reminded her of the TARDIS.

"Where are we up to?" River asked, glancing from Rose to the book. She flipped a few pages. "Have we done the Palace yet?"

"Palace?" Rose asked.

"What's the book?" Amy asked as she and the Doctor joined them.

"Stay away from it," the Doctor warned.

"Obviously not," River replied, taking in Rose's confused look.

The woman turned a few more pages.

"What is it though?" Amy inquired.

"Her diary," the Doctor replied.

"Our diary," River corrected without looking up.

"Her past, our…future. Time travel. We keep meeting in the wrong order."

Hang on. Rose eyed the book. So, she was in there? And the Doctor, he was in there too? How River knew them. Who she really was?

"Okay, then, how about Asgard, have we done Asgard yet?"

"Asgard?" Rose asked, having no idea what River was talking about.

River glanced from Rose to the Doctor. He shook his head and for a moment River's eyes clouded as she turned them back to Rose. There was such sadness in her eyes that it nearly broke Rose's heart. She might not know River, but she knew that look. It was how she felt when the Doctor left her standing on that beach. It was the look of having lost someone, someone very close to her heart.

Four small tornadoes kicked up the dust, interrupting them. River turned away as the tornadoes became four soldiers. Teleported. Rose glanced at the woman. The look was gone, hidden away, as the Doctor hid his feelings.

One of the soldiers walked straight up to River. Rose assumed he was the leader. He had that air about him.

"You promised me an army, Doctor Song," the soldier insisted.

"No, I promised you the equivalent of an army," River corrected. "This is Rose Tyler and the Doctor."

She almost sounded in awe and Rose couldn't help wondering at that and the fact that River introduced her as well. Why would some soldier care who she was? The soldier looked at her with that same awe in his eyes. Then his gaze fell on the Doctor. The Time Lord gave him a salute.

"Father Octavian, Sir," the soldier introduced, shaking the Doctor's hand. "Bishop, second class. Twenty clerics at my command," then Octavian turned to her, offering his hand. She gave him a smile as she shook it. "Ma'am. I'm so glad you could join us. Really, it's an honor." Um…okay then. She had no idea why he seemed so pleased to meet her, not that it was a bad thing, but quite…unexpected. "The troops are already in the drop ship and landing shortly." Octavian explained glancing from her to the Doctor and then back. "Doctor Song was helping us with a covert investigation." He looked at the ship and then back to them. "Has Doctor Song explained what we're dealing with?"

"Doctor, what do you know of the Weeping Angels?" River asked.

He turned his head so quickly Rose was surprised his neck didn't snap. He eyed the woman. Worry? Fear? Yes, both. Weeping Angels? What were they? Powerful, obviously, and dangerous or he wouldn't have that look. Well, whatever they were, she knew she was about to find out.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	24. The Time of Angels Part 2

The Doctor followed Octavian into the camp the man's team set up, as night began to fall. Both Rose and Amy trailed him. He told them to go back to the TARDIS, but neither one of them was listening to him. This whole business started with River and he'd like nothing better than to weed that woman out of his life, out of Rose's life, out of all their lives for good.

"The Angel, as far as we know, is still trapped in the ship," Octavian explained. "Our mission is to get inside and neutralize it. We can't get through up top, we'd be too close to the drives." The man stopped in front of a table strewn with books, papers, and parchments. He pulled out his handheld and drew up an image. The Doctor leaned on the table, listening. "According to this, behind the cliff face there's a network of catacombs leading right up to the temple." Catacombs, brilliant. "We can blow through the base of the cliffs, get into the entrance chamber, then make our way up."

Wonder around a bunch of dark catacombs with Weeping Angels inside? That was the worst idea he'd ever heard. They had no idea. None at all.

"Oh, good," the Doctor replied sarcastically.

"Good, sir?"

"Catacombs. Probably dark ones. Dark catacombs. Great," he snapped with a bit more sarcasm, just in case Octavian didn't catch the first bit.

"Technically, I think it's called a maze of the dead."

Perfect name. Brilliant.

"You can stop any time you like."

"Father Octavian?" a soldier called.

Octavian turned, eyeing the other soldier and then glanced from the Doctor to Rose.

"Excuse me, sir, ma'am," the man said and then walked off to see what the other soldier wanted.

The Doctor wasn't paying attention to that. He was more worried about how he was going to stop the Angel and neutralize it before too many people disappeared. It was one of the only creatures that regenerating wouldn't save him from. He pulled his sonic out and scanned the device on the table.

"Now, that's interesting," he commented.

Amy sat on the table next to him while Rose leaned against it.

"So," Rose asked. "Weeping Angel. That's bad, yeah?"

He caught her gaze, irritated that she was there, that they were both there. This was far too dangerous for either of them.

"You two are still here. Which part of wait in the TARDIS till I tell you it's safe was so confusing?" he snapped, eyeing her.

"Ooo, you are all Mister Grumpy Face today," Amy teased.

Neither of them was taking this seriously. Amy was teasing and Rose wasn't listening and both of them, he could lose both of them if something happened. He turned to Amy, trying to get her, both of them, to understand. "A Weeping Angel is the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent life form evolution has ever produced, and right now one of them is trapped inside that wreckage and I'm supposed to climb in after it with a screwdriver and a torch, and assuming I survive the radiation long enough and assuming the whole ship doesn't explode in my face, do something incredibly clever which I haven't actually thought of yet. That's my day. That's what I'm up to. Any questions?"

"Why would you give Rose a sonic and let her fly the TARDIS?" She eyed Rose. "Are you going to be Mrs. Doctor?" Amy gazed at the Doctor, raising her brow. "Is she going to be your wife one day?"

Sorry? He glanced at Rose. Shocked? Yes, quite a bit and something…something else. He turned away. Wife? Well, he was in love with her and he wanted her to stay with him, but…wife? No, that would never work. Could never work. She was human and there were things…He caught Amy's eye.

"Yes." He looked down then back at her. "You're right. I am definitely Mister Grumpy Face today."

"Rose!" River called. The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Doctor?"

He heard Rose rush over to the Drop Ship where River had been working on something. He sighed.

"Better go see what she wants," Amy said, jumping off the table.

He turned around and crossed the camp.

"Father Octavian!" River called.

"Why do they call him Father?" Amy asked as she followed him.

"He's their Bishop, they're his Clerics. It's the fifty first Century. The Church has moved on."

He entered the Drop Ship. River had brought up a recording of the Angel that was trapped inside the crashed ship. The image was grainy, but the Angel was clearly visible. Its back was to the camera and it had its hands over its face.

"What do you think?" River asked. "It's from the security cameras in the Byzantium vault." He crossed the room, gazing at the image. Rose was beside him also examining the footage. "I ripped it when I was on board. Sorry about the quality. Its four seconds. I've put it on loop."

"Is that a Weeping Angel?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, it's an Angel. Hands covering its face," the Doctor replied.

"You've encountered the Angels before?" Octavian inquired.

"Once, on Earth, a long time ago." He glanced at Octavian and then back to the Angel. "But those were scavengers, barely surviving."

They'd still been dangerous, but this one, this one was far more dangerous and far more deadly. To the Clerics, the Bishop, River, Amy, Rose and, yes, even to him.

"But it's just a statue," Amy said.

"It's a statue when you see it," River explained.

An Angel. An Angel on a ship. Cargo. But why?

"Where did it come from?" he asked, glancing at River.

"Oh, pulled from the ruins of Razbahan, end of last century. It's been in private hands ever since. Dormant all that time," River said.

He almost laughed. Angels were never dormant.

"There's a difference between dormant and patient."

"What's that mean, it's a statue when you see it?" Amy asked.

"The Weeping Angels can only move if they're unseen. So legend has it," River explained.

"No, it's not legend," the Doctor insisted, "It's a quantum lock. In the sight of any living creature the Angels literally cease to exist. They're just stone. The ultimate defense mechanism."

"What, being a stone?" Amy asked.

"Being a stone until you turn your back."

**-0-**

Rose followed the Doctor across the camp as he followed Octavian. The Angels were bad, worse than bad. He was worried, more than worried. It wasn't like the Daleks. He wasn't angry, just concerned, deeply concerned and, although she didn't want to believe it, a bit…scared, and that was frightening. Whatever could put that look in his eyes was dangerous, beyond anything she'd fought. She knew he wanted her to be safe, but something this dangerous…there was no way she was letting him go after it on his own.

"The hyper-drive would've split on impact. That whole ship's going to be flooded with driver burn radiation, cracked electrons, gravity storms. Deadly to almost any living thing."

And they were supposed to go in there?

"Deadly to an Angel?" Octavian asked.

"Dinner to an Angel," the Doctor said, clapping his hands together as he stared out at the camp. Dinner? They not only survived in radiation, they thrived in it. "The longer we leave it there, the stronger it will grow. Who built that temple? Are they still around?"

Brilliant. So, the longer they waited the stronger the creature would get. She'd feel much better with a gun about now. One of the ones she used at Torchwood. Angels had to have some kind of weaknesses, didn't they?

"The Aplans. Indigenous life form. They died out four hundred years ago," River explained.

"Two hundred years later, the planet was terraformed," Octavian explained. The Doctor turned around and eyed him. "Currently there are six billion human colonists."

Six billion? Six billion people for that creature to go after.

"Whoo!" He exclaimed, catching Rose's eye, giving her a smile that she returned. "You lot, you're everywhere." He turned back to the camp. "You're like rabbits. I'll never get done saving you."

"Sir, if there is a clear and present danger to the local population-"

"Oh, there is. Bad as it gets. Bishop," he clapped his hands and rubbed them together, "lock and load."

"Verger, how are we doing with those explosives? Doctor Song, with me," Octavian ordered.

"Two minutes. Rose, I need you," River called.

She caught the way the Doctor rolled his eyes, but she ignored that as she followed after River. She'd had reservations about the woman at first and she wasn't entirely sure she liked the idea of River knowing so much about her, but the woman had come there to stop the Angels and that said something. River led her back to the table with all the books and parchment strewn across it.

"What's all this?" Rose asked.

"Has to do with the Angels. Research," River said, picking up one of the books. "I found this," she handed it over, but before Rose could take it the Doctor snatched it out of River's hand.

"Hey," Rose yelled, but he opened the book and leafed through the pages, ignoring her.

"Oh," River fumed, catching Rose's eye, "Couldn't you just slap him sometimes?"

Yes, as a matter of fact she could and if he didn't stop acting like a bloody arse she'd do just that. She stood up, trying to get a look at the book.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Definitive work on the Angels," River explained. "Well, the only one. Written by a madman. It's barely readable, but I've marked a few passages."

"Not bad. Bit slow in the middle. Then you ate his girlfriend?" he teased.

Rose reached up and pulled it out of his hands.

"Hey," he snapped. "What do you think you're doing?"

"If you aren't going to take this seriously then don't bother," she said, opening the book and looking through it as he tried to grab it back.

"No," he insisted, trying to take it back. "No. Hang on. Give that back!"

She stared laughing. She couldn't help it and in the next moment River snatched the book back, eyeing both of them.

"Oh, honestly," she snapped in exasperation. "There's a deadly creature in the heart of that ship and you two are acting like a couple of school children!"

River eyed her, making her feel like she'd been caught stealing biscuits.

"Sorry," Rose apologized.

River turned her gaze on the Doctor. He shifted, looking away.

"Doctor," River insisted.

He caught her gaze, not at all happy.

"She started it," he said.

"I don't care who started it…and it was you by the way…it ends now. Got that?"

"Yes, mother," he miffed.

"Now, I'll give this back to you, but you have to share it." She raised her brow. "Got that?"

The Doctor took it without answering, but he let Rose look over his shoulder when he leafed through it again. There was something odd about it, but she wasn't entirely sure what that something was. Then he abruptly closed it.

"What're you-" she began.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," he insisted, lifting it and then sniffing the cover.

What the hell was he doing? Well, he did do odd things like that.

"Doctor Song? Did you have more than one clip of the Angel?" Amy called from the Drop Ship.

"No, just the four seconds," River replied.

The Doctor opened the book and leafed through the pages again.

"This book is wrong," he said and then glanced at Rose. "What's wrong with this book?" Then back to the book. "It's wrong."

"Well, if you'd let me see it maybe I could tell you," Rose said. He gave her an _I'm not entirely sure I want to do what you're asking _look and she knew exactly how to fix that. She took his arm. "Please?"

He sighed.

"Fine," he said, handing the book over.

She opened it and began looking over the pages.

"It's so strange to see you two acting like this. How early is this for both of you?" River asked.

"Very early," the Doctor replied, leaning back against the table, crossing his legs and folding his arms.

"So, you two don't know who I am yet?"

"How do you know who I am? I don't always look the same."

"I've seen pictures of all your faces," River said.

"Pictures," Rose exclaimed. That was the something off. She glanced at the Doctor. "Why aren't there pictures?"

The Doctor took the book and she leaned over while he flipped through it.

"This whole book, it's a warning about the Weeping Angels, so why no pictures? Why not show us what to look out for?"

"Hang on," Rose said, flipping through the pages as he held it. "There was a bit about images."

"Yes," he agreed. Then stopped her when she flipped the next page. "There! That which holds the image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel."

"What does that mean?" River asked. "An image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel?"

"Doctor!" Amy yelled from the Drop Ship. "It's in the room!"

"Amy!" Rose yelled, racing over to the ship with River and the Doctor following.

The door was shut. The Doctor was beside her in the next moment.

"Are you all right?" he yelled through the door. "What's happening?"

"Doctor? Rose? It's coming out of the television," Amy called. "The Angel is here."

He pulled his sonic and raced to the keypad, trying to unlock the door.

"Don't take your eyes off it. Keep looking. It can't move if you're looking."

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, trying to force the door open.

"Deadlocked," he replied, racing to the side of the ship and opening a panel.

"There is no deadlock," River said.

"Don't blink, Amy. Don't even blink," he called.

Rose stayed by the door. She didn't have a sonic so there wasn't anything she could do except try to keep Amy calm until the Doctor got the door opened.

"Doctor," the girl yelled, more than a bit scared.

"Amy. Amy, it's going to be all right," she said.

"What are you doing?" River asked.

"Cutting the power. It's using the screen. I'm turning the screen off," he moved some wires around and then stepped back. "No good, it's deadlocked the whole system."

"There's no deadlock," River insisted, glancing at him.

"There is now," the Doctor snapped.

"Help me!" Amy yelled.

"The Doctor's working at getting the door open," she said as he raced back over, joining her at the door.

"Can you turn it off?" he asked.

"Doctor," Amy called.

"The Screen. Can you turn it off?"

"I tried."

"Try again," he insisted. "But don't take your eyes off the Angel."

"I'm not."

He put his hand on Rose's shoulder, catching her eye.

"Stay with her," he said.

"You know I will," she replied.

He gave her a smile and then raced back to the side of the ship.

"Each time it moves, it'll move faster. Don't even blink," he called.

"I'm not blinking. Have you ever tried not blinking?" Amy asked.

"Amy, just find the remote and turn it off," Rose said, trying to sound as calm as she could when, in fact, she wanted to tear through the door to help the girl.

"It just keeps switching back on," Amy yelled.

"Yeah, it's the Angel," the Doctor called.

"But it's just a recording."

"No, anything that takes the image of an Angel is an Angel." Rose glanced at him as he bent down next to River. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to cut through. It's not even warm," River replied.

"There is no way in. It's not physically possible."

"Doctor?" Amy asked and there was such fear in her voice that it tore at Rose's heart. "What's it going to do to me?"

"Just keep looking at it. Don't stop looking," he insisted and then he raced off across the camp.

Where the hell was he going?

"Just tell me," Amy said as he returned with the book they'd been looking at. "Tell me." He leafed through it and then sat up, abruptly. "Tell me!"

"Amy, not the eyes. Look at the Angel, but don't look at the eyes," he ordered.

"Why?" Amy asked.

There was something. He'd worked something out and whatever it was, was bad. Really bad.

"What is it?" Rose inquired.

River drew closer, concerned. He glanced from her to Rose and then back at a page in the book.

"The eyes are not the windows of the soul. They are the doors. Beware what may enter there," he read.

"Doctor, what did you say?" Amy asked.

"Don't look at the eyes!" he yelled.

"No, about images. What did you say about images?"

River ran over to the door, standing next to Rose. The woman leaned against the metal.

"Whatever holds the image of an Angel, is an Angel," River said.

"Okay, hold this. One…two…three…four," Amy said, sounding a bit muffled.

The door clicked, Rose grabbed the handle and pulled. As the door swung open she rushed in with River right behind. The monitor clicked off.

"I froze it," Amy exclaimed. "There was a sort of blip on the tape and I froze it on the blip." The Doctor raced up to the monitor and unplugged it. "It wasn't an image of an Angel anymore." Rose crossed the room to stand next to her. Amy turned around, smiling at her. "That was good, yeah? It was, wasn't it? That was pretty good."

"That was brilliant," Rose said, hugging her.

"Thanks. Yeah, I kind of creamed it, didn't I?" Amy said.

"That was amazing," River agreed.

"Are you all right?" Rose asked.

"I'm fine," Amy replied.

"So, it was here?" River asked. "That was the Angel?"

"That was a projection of the Angel. It's reaching out, getting a good look at us. It's no longer dormant," the Doctor said.

An explosion from outside drew their attention. Rose turned around and in the next moment the Doctor raced past her and up to the door. She ran over as did River. He leaned out.

"Doctor?" Octavian called. "We're through."

"Okay," He said, catching her eye. "Now it starts."

He stepped out and she followed.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are appreciated. :)**


	25. The Time of Angels Part 3

The Doctor helped Rose off the rope ladder after she climbed down. She looked around the large underground cavern. There were dark shadows everywhere. Lots of places for the Angel to hide where they couldn't see it. Brilliant. The Doctor shined his torch around and then up.

"Do we have a gravity globe?" he asked.

"Grav. globe?" Octavian called.

One of the Clerics dug through a pack and then handed a globe to the Doctor.

"Where are we?" Amy asked, a bit frightened.

"Yeah, what is this place?" Rose asked, glancing at River.

"It's an Aplan Moratorium, sometimes called a Maze of the Dead," River said, shining her torch around.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Well, if you happen to be a creature of living stone," the Doctor said and then kicked the globe like a football. It flew up into the air where it illuminated a vast array of statues. "The perfect hiding place."

Statues, everywhere and they were supposed to find a stone Angel among all of those. It seemed impossible.

"Well, I guess this makes it a bit trickier," Octavian said, looking around.

"A bit, yeah," the Doctor replied, sarcastically.

"So, we're supposed to find a stone Angel in the middle of all those?" Rose asked, catching his eye. He gave her a smile, but a worried sort of smile.

"A lot harder than I'd prayed for," Octavian said.

"A needle in a haystack," River said, glancing up at all the statues.

"A needle that looks like hay. A hay-like needle of death. A hay-like needle of death in a haystack of…uh…statues," he said, making Rose laugh. He glanced at her and then River. "No, yours was fine."

"Right. Check every single statue in this chamber," Octavian ordered. "You know what you're looking for. Complete visual inspection. One question. How do we fight it?"

"We find it, and hope," the Doctor said, walking toward the Maze.

Rose followed with Amy, but when she started up the terraces the girl paused, rubbing her eye and then seemed to startle, examining her hand as if she thought there was something wrong with it. Rose glanced at her.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

The girl looked at her, a bit of worry in her eyes and then it was gone. She gave Rose a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Amy said.

River joined them.

"She all right?" the woman asked, glancing at Amy in concern.

"Yeah, I think so." Rose glanced around. "So, Maze of the Dead, yeah?"

"Oh, it's not as bad as it sounds. It's just a labyrinth with dead people buried in the walls."

So, a graveyard, basically. Graveyard, deadly creature, lots of hiding places…brilliant.

"Dead people?" Amy asked.

"Okay that was fairly bad," River said, digging through her pack and pulling out a syringe. "Right, Amy, give me your arm. This won't hurt a bit."

River took the girl's arm and injected her with whatever was in the syringe.

"Ow!" Amy yelled, pulling back her arm.

"There, you see. I lied," River said. "It's a viro-stabilizer. Stabilizes your metabolism against radiation, drive burn, anything. You're going to need it when we get up to that ship."

"My turn, yeah?" Rose asked holding her arm out as Amy wondered over to where the Doctor was standing, examining a statue. She tried not to think about the way Amy jumped and yelled, better that than radiation poisoning.

"Oh, yeah, I suppose we should." River said, almost as if she hadn't thought of it. She pulled out another syringe and injected Rose. There was a sharp pain, but she ignored it and then River put the empty syringe back into her pack alongside the other. Rose watched her for a moment.

"You know me, both of us," she said, glancing at the Doctor.

River gave her a smile.

"Spoilers."

"Yeah, I know, but I mean, we're friends, yeah? In the future. You and me."

"Oh, you're good. I'm not saying you're right, but you are very good, but then you've always been good at that sort of thing."

"What about him," Rose asked, glancing at the Doctor, who was trying very hard to seem like he wasn't watching them. "Who are you to him?"

She thought they were friends, but then River called him sweetie and she didn't really like that idea, though he seemed to like it less, which was a bit funny.

"Yes, we are," River said, shining her torch at the Doctor.

"Sorry…what?" he asked.

"Talking about you."

"I wasn't listening. I'm busy."

"Ah. The other way up."

The Doctor turned his handheld around and then glanced at them.

"Yeah," he replied.

"He gets like that when we're together," River said. "As if we didn't have anything else to talk about." She glanced at Rose. "Friends. The Doctor and I are friend, but not like you and me."

Gunfire erupted, coming from the main chamber. The Angel? She hoped so, if it was taken care of they could get out of there and she'd feel much better once they were all back in the TARDIS. The Doctor turned around and raced back. Rose followed with the others trailing. He stopped as they entered the chamber and examined a statue. There were bullet holes in the statue's face.

"Sorry, sorry. I thought. I thought it looked at me," a young Cleric said, nervously.

"We know what the Angel looks like. Is that an Angel?" Octavian asked.

"No, sir."

"No, sir, it is not. According to the Doctor, we are facing an enemy of unknowable power and infinite evil, so it would be good, it would be very good, if we could all remain calm in the presence of décor."

Maybe facing an enemy of unknowable power and infinite evil was what made the Cleric nervous. The Doctor glanced over at the young Cleric.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Bob, sir," the Cleric replied.

He gave the Cleric a smile.

"Ah, that's a great name. I love Bob."

"It's a Sacred Name. We all have Sacred Names. They're given to us in the service of the Church," Octavian replied.

The Doctor crossed the room, eyeing first Octavian and then Bob.

"Sacred Bob. More like Scared Bob now, eh?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Bob relied, a bit embarrassed.

"Ah, good," he said, giving Bob's shoulder a light slap. He caught the Cleric's gaze and held it. "Scared keeps you fast. Anyone in this room who isn't scared is a moron." He glanced at Octavian and Rose couldn't help grinning. "Carry on."

He walked back across the chamber catching her grin. He gave her a smile.

"We'll be moving into the maze in two minutes. You stay with Christian and Angelo. Guard the approach," Octavian said, eyeing Bob before he walked away.

**-0-**

The Doctor led the way through the catacombs, shining his torch around. This was bad, really not good. The worst place they could be with a Weeping Angel on the loose. And there was something…something off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Couldn't figure out what it was.

"Isn't there a chance this lot's just going to collapse? There's a whole ship up there," Amy asked, as she trailed him with River behind Rose.

He was trying to keep Rose close to him for two reasons. One, she'd be safer from the Angels that way and two, he didn't like her chatting with River. Not that he was worried she might gain some damaging future knowledge, though that was a possibility, he didn't like the way she acted around the woman and the ideas River put into her head.

She hadn't tried to fly the TARDIS until River showed up and then there was that whole business about Rose having a sonic. Why would she even need one? He had one and that should do. River was unnecessarily complicating things and he didn't like that one bit.

"Incredible builders, the Aplans," River said.

"Had dinner with their Chief Architect once," he replied, training his torch up to see the statues above them as they drew close to the entrance of another chamber.. "Two heads are better than one."

"What, you mean you helped him?" Amy asked.

He gazed around the chamber at the statues. That something off was still nagging him and he hadn't figured out what it was yet. It was right in front of him though. He could feel it.

"No, I mean he had two heads." He paused, still looking around. "That book, the very end, what did it say?"

"Hang on," Rose said.

He heard her shift.

"Read it to me," he said.

"What if we had ideas that could think for themselves?" She read. "What if one day our dreams no longer needed us? When these things occur and are held to be true, the time will be upon us. The time of Angels."

Ideas that could think for themselves. Dreams that no longer needed them. There was something, but he still couldn't figure it out and he knew it was right there. He started forward again, leading them toward the crashed ship.

"Are we there yet? It's a hell of a climb," Amy whined.

"The Maze is on six levels, representing the ascent of the soul. Only two levels to go," River explained.

"Lovely species, the Aplans," he said, turning around while he walked to glance from Rose to Amy. "We should visit them some time."

"I thought they were all dead?" Amy asked.

"So is Virginia Woolf. I'm on her bowling team. Very relaxed, sort of cheerful. Well, that's having two head, of course. You're never short of a snog with an extra head," he teased.

"Doctor," Rose called and he could hear a bit of fear in her voice.

He spun around, shining his torch on her. No, no Angel, but she was standing perfectly still, as if there was something dangerous in the room and she was afraid of drawing its attention.

"What is it?" he asked.

River and Amy stopped at the bit of fear that crept into his voice.

"The Aplans have two heads?" she asked.

Wait. What? He already said that.

"Yes, why?"

"The Aplans have two heads," she repeated glancing from him to the statue.

He looked at the statue. Just a statue like the others. Why was she…Oh. Oh! Why didn't he see it? He should've seen it. Perception filter or maybe he was just getting thick.

"Oh," he said in a low voice, shining his torch on the statue.

"What's wrong?" River asked, glancing between them.

"What is it?" Amy inquired, fear creeping into her voice.

"Nobody move. Nobody move. Everyone stay exactly where they are," he said, motioning for everyone to stop. He glanced at Octavian. "Bishop, I am truly sorry. I've made a mistake and we are all in terrible danger."

"What danger?" Octavian asked, looking around as if he might see the danger, which he could, they all could the entire time, but they hadn't seen it. The Doctor hadn't seen it.

"The Aplans," Rose said.

"The Aplans?" Octavian asked, turning to her.

"They've got two heads," she explained.

"Yes, I get that. So?"

"So why don't the statues?" The Doctor said. "Everyone," he shined his torch around, looking for a clear area, "over there. Just move. Don't ask questions, don't speak." He waited until Rose passed him and then he backed up toward the area, keeping his torch and eyes focused on the statues. "Okay, I want you all to switch off your torches."

"Sir?" Octavian asked, unsure.

Yes, it was dangerous, but he had to check, had to be sure, had to know how many of the statues weren't statues. How many of them were, in fact, Angels.

"Just do it," he ordered. He others turned their torches off. "Okay. I'm going to turn off this one too, just for a moment."

"Are you sure about this?" River asked.

Of course he wasn't sure, but it was the only way he'd know and he had to know.

"No," he replied.

He switched his torch off and then back on, quickly. The statues turned…all of them. Everyone turned their torches back on, but he wasn't paying attention to that. All the statues in his line of sight weren't statues, they were Angels. No! No, no, no! He dashed back down the passage.

"Oh, my God. They've moved," Amy said, behind him.

He stopped in the passage, shining his torch around. All of them. All the statues in the passage had turned, some of them reaching out. Rose came up behind him.

"They're Angels," he said. "All of them."

"All of them?" she asked, he could hear the fear in her voice. She was trying to hide it, but it was there.

"Clerics, keep watching them," he ordered.

He took Rose's hand, knowing she wouldn't stay behind and then crept by the closest ones and dashed further down the passage, pulling her along with him. He stopped on the short bridge they'd crossed and shined his torch off the side. Fear crept through his hearts.

"Every statue in this Maze," he said. "Every single one is a Weeping Angel. They're coming after us."

"What're we going to do?" she asked.

He glanced at her, but instead of answering he took her hand and dashed back to the others. Run, that's all they could do. He needed to get them the hell out of there. Rose. Amy. All of them. Only, their way back was blocked. The only thing they could do was keep going forward. Make it to the ship and cut off the Angels' food supply, but the Angels knew they were there, probably knew what he was planning.

This was bad, bad as it gets. Stuck in dark catacombs, not with one Angel, but an entire army. An army of Angels that were coming after them. He couldn't lose Amy or Rose. He already lost the woman he loved once, he couldn't survive a second time. It would kill him. She was his other half and if the Angels got her, if they took her from him, it would rip his soul apart and then…and then he really would be lost.

They reached the others and he released her hand to shine his torch around the passage. They had to get moving, had to get out of there.

"But there was only one Angel on the ship. Just the one, I swear," River was saying as she shined her torch around.

"Could they have been here already?" Amy asked, a bit fearfully.

"The Aplans. What happened?" the Doctor asked, glancing at River. "How did they die out?"

"Nobody knows," she said.

"We know," Rose replied, giving him a knowing glance.

Yes, they did know. The Aplans had all become victims of the Angels.

"They don't look like Angels," Octavian said.

"And they're not fast," Amy pointed out. "You said they were fast. They should have had us by now."

He crept closer to one of the statues, examining it.

"Look at them," he said, shining his torch on it. "They're dying, losing their form. They must have been down here for centuries, starving."

"Losing their image," Amy said.

"And their image is their power."

"But they're not starving now, yeah?" Rose said. Wait. What? He turned to her. "You said all that radiation coming off the ship. It's food to them."

Oh. He stood up. That's why the ship crashed there. That's why the Angel woke up.

"Sorry?" Amy asked, glancing from him to Rose and back. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you see?" He asked, turning around. "All that radiation spilling out the drive burn. The crash of the Byzantium wasn't an accident, it was a rescue mission for the Angels. We're in the middle of an army, and it's waking up."

"We need to get out of here fast," River said.

"Bob, Angelo, Christian, come in, please," Octavian said into the communicator on his shoulder. No one answered. He pulled it off his shoulder. "Any of you, come in."

"It's Bob, sir. Sorry, sir," Bob said through the communicator.

The Doctor crept closer to Octavian. Three of them. Three of the soldiers were back in the main chamber. Trapped with the Angels.

"Bob, are Angelo and Christian with you? All the statues are active. I repeat, all the statues are active."

"I know, sir. Angelo and Christian are dead, sir," He reached out and snatched the communicator out of Octavian's hand. "The statues killed them, sir."

"Bob, Sacred Bob, it's me, the Doctor," he said into the communicator.

"I'm talking to-" Octavian began.

"Where are you now?" he interrupted, cutting Octavian off as he held out a finger. He needed to find out where he was, if he was all right.

"I'm talking to my-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," he shook his finger at Octavian, "shut up."

"I'm on my way up to you, sir. I'm homing in on your signal," Bob said.

Ah, good. He got away. Just him, but at least he managed to get away from the Angels.

"Ah well done, Bob. Scared keeps you fast. Told you, didn't I? Your friends, Bob. What did the Angels do to them?"

"Snapped their necks, sir."

Wait. What? That didn't make any sense.

"See, that's odd. That's not how the Angels kill you. They displace you in time. Unless they needed the bodies for something."

Octavian grabbed the communicator out of his hand.

"Bob," Octavian said, "did you check their data packs for vital signs?" The other men were dead. Gone. Octavian was wasting time they didn't have. "We may be able to initiate a rescue plan."

The Doctor grabbed the communicator and wrenched it from the man's grasp.

"Oh, don't be an idiot," he said, eyeing Octavian. "The Angels don't leave you alive." He picked up the communicator and pressed the button. There were more important things, like the something that didn't make sense. "Bob, keep running. But tell me, how did you escape?"

"I didn't escape, sir. The Angel killed me, too," Bob said.

Hang on. What? Killed him? How could he be dead? He was talking to them. He couldn't be dead. He glanced at Octavian at the same time the man glanced at him and he knew Octavian was trying to work out the same thing.

"What do you mean, the Angel killed you?" he asked.

"Snapped my neck, sir. Wasn't as painless as I expected, but it was pretty quick, so that was something."

Snapped his neck…what?

"If you're dead, how can I be talking to you?"

"You're not talking to me, sir. The Angel has no voice. It stripped my cerebral cortex from my body and re-animated a version of my consciousness to communicate with you. Sorry about the confusion."

It wasn't Bob, they weren't talking to Bob because he was dead. They were talking to the Angel.

"So when you say you're on your way up to us…"

"It's the Angel that's coming, sir, yes. No way out."

He spun around in anger, keeping hold of the communicator even though he wanted to throw it. The entire time he'd been talking to the Angel as it made its way up to them. All that time!

"Then we get out through the wreckage. Go!" Octavian ordered.

"Go, go, go. All of you run," the Doctor insisted.

"Doctor," Rose said, touching his arm.

She was worried, he could see that, but there wasn't time.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm coming. Just go," he said shoving her forward, but she stopped and turned to him. She didn't want to leave him, but she couldn't stay. "Just take Amy and go. Get her out of here!" he yelled when she didn't move. He could see that she was torn between staying with him and keeping Amy safe, but he knew she'd make the right choice, she always did. "I'll be right behind you." She took Amy's hand and ran off down the passage. He turned to Octavian. "Yeah. Called you an idiot. Sorry, but there's no way we could have rescued your men."

"I know that, sir. And when you've flown away in your little blue box I'll explain that to their families," Octavian replied and then walked away.

"Angel Bob. Which Angel am I talking to? The one from the ship?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. And the other Angels are still restoring," Angel Bob relied.

"Ah, so the Angel is not in the wreckage. Thank you," he said and then turned and dashed down the passage after the others.

He wasn't sure how far the others had gotten. He raced down the passage passing Amy and Rose. Were they waiting for him?

"Don't' wait for me. Go, run," he called as he passed them.

"Amy says she can't move," Rose said.

He stopped, turning around. What? He hurried over to Amy. Her hand was on the rail of the small bridge. He examined her.

"No, really, I can't," the girl insisted.

He caught her gaze. There was something going on with her.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Look at it. Look at my hand." He gazed down at her hand. "It's stone."

Stone…what? It wasn't stone, but she thought it was. Oh. Bad, really not good.

"Amy, it's not stone. I can see it, yeah," Rose tried.

She didn't understand what happened. What the girl had done. He shined his torch in her eyes, first in one and then the other.

"You looked into the eyes of an Angel, didn't you?" he asked.

"What?" Rose gasped in fear, resting her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I couldn't stop myself. I tried," Amy said.

"Listen to me." He caught her gaze. "It's messing with your head. Your hand is not made of stone."

"It is. Look at it," she insisted.

"It's in your mind. I promise you. You can move that hand. You can let go."

"I can't, okay? I've tried and I can't." His torch began to flicker. The Angels were getting close and they were growing stronger by the second. "It's stone."

He glanced at Rose. She had to go. He needed her safe and being with them at that moment was anything, but safe.

"Rose, you need to go. Run! I'll take care of this," he said.

"I'm not going anywhere," she insisted, folding her arms across her chest and giving him that look, the obstinate one, the one that told him she was staying.

"Rose!" he yelled, glaring at her.

There was danger, serious danger, deadly danger, and it was advancing on them and there she was not listening to him.

"I'm not leaving you! I'm not leaving either one of you!" she yelled.

He growled in frustration and then turned his attention back to Amy. The only way he'd get Rose out of harm's way was if he got them all out.

"Amy, you need to move your hand. You need to let go," he insisted.

"I can't do it," she protested.

He caught the girl's gaze, holding it.

"The Angel is going to come and it's going to turn this light off, and then there's nothing I can do to stop it, so do it. Concentrate. Move your hand."

"I can't."

"Then we're all going to die."

"You two are not going to die."

He glanced down the passage. They were there. The Angels.

"Rose," he said, motioning behind Amy. She looked, catching sight of them. "Watch them. Don't blink."

"They'll kill the lights," he said, focusing his attention on Amy.

His torch flickered.

"You've got to go," Amy insisted. "Both of you. You know you have. River knows about you, about both of you, and all that stuff that's got to happen and all that stuff with River and Rose." He glanced at the Angels. They hadn't moved. "You know you two can't die here."

"Time can be re-written," he said, glancing at her. "It doesn't work like that."

His torch went out and back on. The Angels were closer.

"Keep your eyes on it," he said to Rose. "Don't blink and don't look in their eyes."

Amy turned around and realized how close the Angels were.

"Run!" she yelled.

He had to get her to move her hand. Had to get her to see that she could.

"You see, I'm not going, she's not going. We're not leaving you here," he said.

"I don't need both of you to die for me. Do I look that clingy?"

"You can move your hand."

"It's stone."

"It's not stone," he insisted.

"You've got to go. Both of you. Those people up there will die without you. If you two stay here with me, you'll have as good as killed them."

She wanted to sacrifice herself to save everyone. He glanced at Rose and he would've shared a smile with her if she wasn't watching the Angels, but he could see that she was thinking the same thing he was. He had to get her to move and there was only one way he could do that, make her understand that her hand wasn't stone.

"Amy Pond," he said, leaning his head against her hair, "you are magnificent," he leaned back, "and I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I understand. You've got to leave me."

She was trying to be brave, but he heard the warble of fear in her voice.

"Oh, no, We're not leaving you, never. I'm sorry about this."

He bent down and bit her hand.

"Ow!" she yelled, pulling her hand up and rubbing it.

"See?" he exclaimed with a smile, "Not stone. Now run."

It worked! She moved, they could run, and hopefully, if they were very lucky, get away. He took Rose's hand and backed up shining his torch at the Angels.

"You bit me."

Amy took a couple steps, still looking at her hand.

"Yeah, and you're alive."

Rose reached out and pulled Amy behind her.

"Look, I've got a mark," Amy said, showing Rose. He heard Rose laugh. "Look at my hand."

"Yes, and you're alive. Did I mention?" he asked.

"Blimey, his teeth. Has he got space teeth?"

"Yeah. Alive. All I'm saying. Now, go."

Rose turned with Amy and dashed down the passage. He followed.

**-0-**

He raced into the chamber behind Amy and Rose. The others were gathered there. The Bishop, the Clerics, and River. He glanced around and then up at the ship. The torches flickered, as well as the gravity globe. The Angels were close.

"The statues are advancing along all corridors. And, sir, my torch keeps flickering," one of the Clerics said.

"They all do," Octavian replied.

"So does the gravity globe," River said, shining her torch up at the globe that floated above them.

"Yeah, it's the Angels," the Doctor explained. "They're coming. And they're draining the power for themselves."

"Which means we won't be able to see them," Octavian said.

The lights would go out and they'd have no way to protect themselves. They had to get out of there before that happened. Only, he wasn't sure how to do that yet. Not with Angels coming at them from all sides.

"Which means we can't stay here," he said.

"Two more incoming," a Cleric called.

"Doctor, what do we do?" Rose asked.

He glanced at her. She was shining her torch around too and he could tell she was trying to find a way out, same as him. Even in the middle of all this, an army of deadly Angels advancing on them, he couldn't help smiling, couldn't help feeling so glad that he had her back.

"The statues are advancing on all sides," Octavian said.

"There's no way up, no way back, no way out. No pressure, but this is usually when you two have a really good idea," River said.

There had to be a way out. Something he was missing. Some way to get them all safely out of harm's way.

"There's always a way out," he said.

"If we could get to the ship, maybe we could seal ourselves inside," Rose suggested, shining her torch up.

Yes, yes, get to the ship, but how? The ship was above them, too far away to reach.

"We don't have the climbing equipment to reach the Byzantium," Octavian said.

Well, that let that out, not that they had time for that anyway. The lights would go out long before they reached the ship that way. But what if they didn't need climbing equipment? What if they could reach the ship immediately, or nearly immediately. The lights went out and then back on.

"There's always a way out," he repeated, shining his torch up at the ship.

"Doctor? Can I speak to the Doctor, please?" Angel Bob said through the communicator.

The Doctor pulled it out of his inside pocket.

"Hello, Angels. What's your problem?" he asked.

"Your power will not last much longer, and the Angels will be with you shortly. Sorry, sir."

He already knew that.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"There's something the Angels are very keen you should know before the end."

"Which is?"

"I died in fear."

What?

"I'm sorry?"

"You told me my fear would keep me alive, but I died afraid, in pain, and alone. You made me trust you, and when it mattered, you let me down."

Regret, despair, and anger raged through him. If he'd seen earlier, seen that they weren't statues. He could've saved the three Clerics, but he hadn't.

"What are they doing?" Amy whispered behind him.

"They're trying to make him angry," River said.

"I'm sorry, sir. The Angels were very keen for you to know that."

"Doctor," Rose said, laying her hand on his arm. "It's not your fault. You didn't know. None of us knew."

But it was. It was always his fault. He wouldn't let anyone else die. He would get them out, get them all out.

"Well then," he growled into the communicator, "the Angels have made their second mistake because I'm not going to let that pass. I'm sorry you're dead, Bob, but I swear to whatever is left of you, they will be sorrier."

"But you're trapped, sir, and about to die."

He spun around, gazing up at the ship. There was a way. There was a way to get them out. It was dangerous and it might backfire, but it was a way. A chance.

"Yeah. I'm trapped. And you know what? Speaking of traps, this trap has got a great big mistake in it. A great big, whopping mistake."

"What mistake, sir?"

He caught Amy's gaze, stepping toward her.

"Trust me?" he asked.

"Yeah," Amy said, giving him a smile.

He looked at River.

"Trust me?"

"Always," River replied.

He glanced at the Bishop.

"You lot, trust me?"

"Sir, two more incoming," a Cleric called.

Octavian nodded.

"We have faith, sir."

Then he turned to her. The woman who insisted on coming with him. The only person who would never willingly leave his side because when she said forever she meant it. The woman he loved. He took her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze.

"Trust me?" he asked.

She gave him the smile that belonged only to him as she reached up and brushed his cheek.

"Do it," she said, with the same trust she'd had all those years ago when the Slitheen were planning on destroying the Earth and the only way to stop them was to launch a missile at the building they were trapped in.

He returned her smile, then turned to Octavian, snapping his fingers and pointing at the man's holster.

"Give me your gun." He took it, cocked it, then glanced at Rose. "I'm about to do something incredibly stupid and dangerous."

"Nothing new there then," she teased, giving him a smile.

He grinned, and then looked at Octavian.

"When I do, jump," he said, demonstrating.

"Jump where?" the Bishop asked.

"No, just jump, high as you can. Come on, leap of faith, Bishop. On my signal."

"What signal?"

"You won't miss it," he said and then raised the gun, aiming at the gravity globe above them.

"Sorry, can I ask again? You mentioned a mistake we made," Angel Bob said.

"Oh, big mistake. Huge," he said, without taking his eyes from the globe. "Didn't anyone ever tell you there's one thing you never put in a trap? If you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there is one thing you never, ever put in a trap."

"And what would that be, sir?"

"Me."

He shot the globe. It exploded and then he jumped.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	26. Flesh and Stone Part 1

Rose stood up next to the Doctor. She looked at the ground, which wasn't ground. They were…on the ship! On the bottom of the ship. He did it. Somehow he got them to the ship.

"Up, Look up," the Doctor ordered as he shot to his feet.

Rose looked up. Angels! They were all over the ceiling, which used to be the floor.

"Are you okay?" River asked from behind.

"What happened?" Amy inquired.

She glanced over at them. River helped Amy to her feet. The girl looked a bit disoriented, but other than that she appeared to be fine.

"We jumped," the woman explained.

"Jumped where?" the girl asked.

"Up. Up. Look up," the Doctor ordered as he raced past her.

She turned her attention back to the Angels. They moved and…were there more of them?

"Where are we?" Amy asked.

"Exactly where we were," she replied.

"No we're not," the girl insisted.

"Move your feet," the Doctor said.

She heard someone move and then the sound of his sonic, but she didn't chance taking her eyes from the Angels to find out what he was doing.

"Doctor, what am I looking at? Explain," Amy insisted.

"OH, come on, Amy, think. The ship crashed with the power still on, yeah? So, what else is still on?" There was a pause and she assumed he was waiting for Amy to work out what happened. "The artificial gravity," he continued when she didn't answer. "One good jump," The sound of him jumping. "and up we fell. Shot out the grav globe to give us an updraft, and here we are."

The sound of his sonic returned.

"Doctor, the statues. They look more like Angels now," Octavian said.

"They're feeding on the radiation from the wreckage, draining all the power from the ship, restoring themselves. Within an hour, they'll be an army."

An army…what? She glanced at him, he was working on the hatch. It slid open, but at that moment the lights along the ship began exploding.

"Doctor? What's happening?" she asked.

"They're taking out the lights," he said. He glanced at Octavian. "Look at them. Look at the Angels." Then he caught Rose's gaze. "Rose, with me." He grabbed her hand and pulled her down so they were both sitting at the top of the open hatch with their legs dangling down inside. She looked down. Were they supposed to drop all the way down there? He caught her gaze, taking her hand. "Ready?" She grinned. "Into the ship, now. Quickly, all of you."

"How?" Amy asked, looking at them.

Then they jumped and suddenly she was…well, the other way up, or to the side, or something strange, but she was standing up.

"Doctor!" the girl yelled and then she was visible outside the hatch.

"It's just a corridor," the Doctor said, as if it was the most normal thing in the universe. "The gravity orientates to the floor. Now, in here, all of you. Don't take your eyes off the Angels. Move, move, move."

He turned to Rose.

"All right there?" he asked, racing over to a control panel in the wall.

"Why wouldn't I be? We've only jumped into a corridor," she said, giving him a teasing smile.

He glanced at her, returned her smile and then went back to work on the panel with his sonic. It would be nice if she had her own, then they could both work at, well, whatever he was doing.

"Okay, men. Go, go, go!" Octavian called from outside.

Amy, River, and the Clerics raced into the hatch. Octavian came in last, stopping next to the Doctor.

"The Angels. Presumably they can jump up too?" the Bishop asked.

"They're here, now. In the dark, we're finished."

At that moment an alarm sounded.

"Run!" he yelled.

She spun around as he raced past her. One of the doors slid shut.

"This whole place is a death trap," Octavian yelled running up behind him.

"No, it's a time bomb. Well, it's a death trap and a time bomb. And now it's a dead end. Nobody panic." At that moment the Angels began to bang on the hatch. The Clerics opened fire. "Oh, just me then. What's through here?"

Secondary flight deck," River said.

"Okay, so we've basically run up the inside of a chimney, yeah? So what if the gravity fails?" Amy asked.

"I've thought about that," he said.

"And?"

"And we'll all plunge to our deaths. See? I've thought about it." He turned around. "The security protocols are still live. There's no way to override them. It's impossible."

"How impossible?" River asked as she worked on some wires in the control panel on the wall.

"Two minutes," he said, bending down to work at the door.

The girl looked worried.

"Amy, we'll be fine," Rose said, hoping to alleviate the girl's stress.

"So sure of that are you?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, I am."

"Why?"

She glanced at the Doctor and noticed him doing that thing where he was listening, but pretending not to.

"Because I have faith."

Only she wasn't talking about the same faith Octavian had. It was faith in the Doctor, faith that he would get them out of there, because he always did. He glanced at her then, but only for a moment. The lights flickered and then went out.

"The hull is breached and the power's failing," Octavian said.

The Doctor turned around shoving her behind him as she shoved Amy behind her. He worked his way over to River and began using his sonic on the control panel.

"Sir, incoming," one of the Clerics said.

A hand appeared on the other side of the open hatch. An Angel's hand. The lights shifted from off to on continuously.

"Doctor? Lights," Amy insisted.

Then it was the whole Angel, halfway inside the corridor.

"Doctor," Rose said, "I, uh, don't want to rush you, but now would be a good time to finish whatever you're doing."

The lights went out again and then they were on, all down the passage, but…the Angels were there, in the passage with them. At the other end, but still far closer than she'd like.

"Clerics, keep watching them," Octavian ordered.

"And don't look at their eyes. Anywhere else. Not the eyes," the Doctor said. "I've isolated the lighting grid. They can't drain the power now."

He turned around and locked eyes with Rose for a moment and then focused on the door. He seemed worried and that unsettled her a bit.

"Good work, Doctor," Octavian said.

"Yes. Good, good, good," he said, turning around. "Good in many ways. Good you like it so far."

He turned back to the door.

"What do you mean, so far?" Rose asked.

"Well, there's only one way to open this door." He opened the door's control panel. "I guess I'll need to route all the power in this section through the door control."

He turned and walked toward the Angles, stopping next to the closest Clerics.

"Good. Fine. Do it," Octavian said.

"Including the lights. All of them. I'll need to turn out the lights."

What? The lights? Rose glanced around the corridor.

"How long for?"

"Fraction of a second." He tossed his sonic from one hand to the other. "Maybe longer. Maybe quite a bit longer."

"Maybe?"

"I'm guessing. We're being attacked by statues in a crashed ship. There isn't a manual for this!"

He turned around and hurried back to the door.

"Doctor, we lost the torches. We'll be in total darkness," Amy insisted.

He turned to Amy.

"No other way," he said then eyed Octavian. "Bishop."

"Doctor Song," Octavian said, River turned around and looked at him. "I've lost good Clerics today. You trust this man?"

"I absolutely trust him," River said.

"He's not some kind of madman, then?"

"I absolutely trust him," the woman repeated and Rose had to hold back a laugh.

He was, of course, mad and a genius and the only person who could get them out, the only one who could save them. She glanced at the Doctor and noticed his smile, he caught her gaze, grinning.

"Excuse me," he said and then turned around, focusing on the door.

Octavian whispered something to River, something that seemed to unsettle her, but Rose couldn't hear what they were saying. Then the Bishop turned back to the Doctor.

"Okay, Doctor. We've got your back," Octavian said.

"Bless you, Bishop," the Doctor said, while Amy helped him with the door. "Rose," he called and she walked over to join them, still wondering what Octavian had said to River.

"Combat distance, ten feet. As soon as the lights go down, continuous fire. Full spread over the hostiles. Do not stop firing while the lights are out. Shot gun protocol. We don't have bullets to waste," the Bishops said.

The Doctor turned to her.

"Rose, when the lights go down, the wheel should release. I need you two to spin it clockwise four turns."

"Ten," Amy said.

"No, four," Rose corrected. "He said four turns."

"Yeah, four. I heard him."

Rose watched her for a moment. It was almost as if she didn't know she said ten.

"Ready!" the Doctor called, holding his sonic in place in the door's control panel.

"On my count, then," Octavian said. "God be with us all. Three, two, one, fire!"

The lights went out. She heard the Clerics and the Bishop opened fire.

"Turn!" the Doctor ordered.

She started turning the wheel to open the door, it was heavy and now she knew why he had both of them turn it. The door began to open.

"Doctor, it's opening," she called.

"It's working," Amy agreed.

She grabbed Amy and shoved her through then followed behind.

"Fall back!" he called.

The Clerics and the Bishop made their way through the door.

"Doctor, come on," she called and a moment later he slid inside as the door closed.

She followed him to another door at the end of the corridor. He used his sonic to open it. Octavian stepped inside first with his gun drawn then Amy dashed in after him followed by River and a couple Clerics. Rose went in after, but waited near the entrance.

"Doctor!" Amy called.

He ran through the opening as the door began to slide shut. Then he dashed up to a very large console.

"Doctor!" Amy yelled.

Rose followed her gaze. The Angels were turning the wheel to open the door, but Octavian pulled a small, round object out of his pack and attached it to the door.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

""Magnetized the door. Nothing could turn that wheel now," the Bishop said.

"Yeah?" the Doctor asked, in a voice that told her Octavian was completely wrong and in the next moment the wheel began to turn, but much, much slower.

"Dear God!" the Bishop gasped.

"Ah, now you're getting it," he said as he began fiddling with the console. "You've bought us time though. That's good. I am good with time."

Amy jumped, startled by a loud banging.

"Doctor," the girl said in alarm.

A wheel on another door began to turn.

"Seal that door. Seal it now," Octavian ordered.

"Grab that, over there," the Doctor said, pointing to some wires on another console.

Rose stepped around Amy to retrieve them and then handed them over.

"We're surrounded," River said.

The wheel on the third door began to turn.

"Seal it. Seal that door," Octavian ordered. "Doctor, how long have we got?"

"Five minutes, max," he said.

"Nine," Amy replied.

"Five," he said, catching the girl's eye.

"Five. Right. Yeah."

"Why'd you say nine?"

"I didn't."

Rose leaned on his other side, bending close.

"Twice now, yeah?" she whispered. "Any ideas?"

"Not yet, but I'm working on it," he replied, giving her a quick glance that told her, he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"We need another way out of here," River said.

"There isn't one," Octavian replied.

"Yeah, there is. Course there is," the Doctor said, turning around and stepping toward the far wall. "This is a galaxy class ship. Goes for years between planet falls. So, what do they need?"

He turned around facing everyone. What would they need? Food, obvious that, but he was talking about something else, something vital…Oh.

"You mean," she said, grinning in excitement as she ran up to him because she'd only seen one, "like on that other starliner. The one we were on after New Earth?"

"Exactly," he replied, smiling back at her.

"What? What do they need?" Amy asked.

"Can we get in there?" Octavian asked.

"Well, it's a sealed unit, but they must have installed it somehow," he said crossing the room and leaning his cheek against the wall and then feeling along it. "This whole wall should slide up. There's clamps." He moved the cargo boxes out of the way. "Release the clamps."

He pulled his sonic and began using it on the clamps.

"What's through there? What do they need?" Amy asked, walking over to stand next to her. River joined them.

"They need to breathe," the woman said.

The wall began to slide up and he backed up, stopping on the other side of Rose.

"But that's…" Amy said in amazement. "That's a…"

The Doctor was grinning like a kid at Christmas and Rose knew he was finding joy in Amy's amazement. She smiled, taking his hand. He glanced at her.

"It's an oxygen factory," River said.

"It's a forest," Amy replied.

"Yeah, it's a forest. It's an oxygen factory."

"And if we're lucky, an escape route," he said.

"Eight," Amy replied.

He froze, only for a moment, but Rose felt it. There was something wrong with Amy. She was counting down, had been for a while.

"What did you say?" River asked, surprised.

"Nothing."

"Is there another exit? Scan the architecture, we don't' have time to get lost in there," he said.

"On it," Octavian said, stepping into the forest. "Stay where you are until I've checked the Rad levels."

"But trees, on a space ship?" Amy asked.

"Oh, more than trees," he said, gripping Rose's hand and then walking into the forest with her. "Way better than trees. You're going to love this. Treeborgs." He stopped in front of one of the trees, releasing her hand. "Trees plus technology." He pushed on the bark and a control panel opened. "Branches become cables become sensors on the hull. A forest sucking in starlight, breathing out air." She glanced up at the cables that connected to the ceiling. She could see space through the glass panels. "It even rains. There's a whole mini-climate. This vault is an ecopod running right through the heart of the ship." He stepped back into the room and walked up to the girl. "A forest in a bottle on a space ship in a maze. Have I impressed you yet, Amy Pond?"

"Seven," Amy said.

Rose hurried back into the room. Whatever was wrong with the girl, it was getting worse.

"Seven?" he asked.

"Sorry…what?" Amy inquired, as if she had no idea what he was saying.

"You said seven."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did," River said.

He gazed into Amy's eyes, as if he might be able to tell what was wrong with her.

"She's been doing that for a while. Counting down from ten," Rose said.

"Doctor, there's an exit, far end of the ship, into the Primary Flight Deck," Octavian said.

He glanced at Octavian and then back to Amy, still trying to work out what was wrong.

"OH, good. That's where we need to go," he said.

"Plotting a safe path now."

"Quick as you like."

"Doctor? Excuse me? Hello, Doctor? Angel Bob here, sir," Angel Bob said through the communicator.

The Doctor searched his jacket and then spotted the communicator on the console. He picked it up and then sat in the chair. Rose stood next to him.

"Ah. There you are, Angel Bob. How's life?" he asked, glancing at Rose. She shook her head. "Sorry, bad subject."

"The Angels are wondering what you hope to achieve."

"Achieve? We're not achieving anything. We're just hanging. It's nice here. Consoles, comfy chairs," he gave her a grin that she returned, only the Doctor could make jokes at a time like this, "a forest. How's things with you?"

"The Angels are feasting, sir. Soon we will be able to absorb enough power to consume this vessel, this world, and all the stars and world beyond."

She could see the worry in his eyes. Could they do that? Were they really that powerful?

"Well, we've got comfy chairs." He gave her a sideways glance. "Did I mention?"

"We have no need of comfy chairs."

"I made him say comfy chairs," he said, looking at her.

She laughed and heard Amy giggle.

"Six," the girl said.

"Okay, Bob," The Doctor shot out of the chair, "enough chat. Here's what I want to know. What have you done to Amy?"

"There's something in her eye."

Wait. What? Rose spun around, gazing at the girl.

"What's in her eye?"

"We are."

He turned around and walked over to Amy as she drew up next to Rose.

"What's he talking about? Doctor, I'm five," Amy said and then glanced at Rose. "I mean, five." She closed her eyes and shook her head and then opened them, focusing on him. "Fine! I'm fine."

"You're counting," River said.

"Counting?" the girl asked.

"You're counting down from ten," Rose said.

"You have been for a couple of minutes," the Doctor added.

"Why?" Amy inquired.

"I don't know."

"Well, counting down to what?"

"I don't know."

"We shall take her," Angel Bob said. "We shall take all of you. We shall have dominion over all time and space."

He flopped back down in the chair.

"Get a life, Bob. Oops, sorry again. There's power on this ship, but nowhere near that much," he said.

"With respect, sir, there's more power on this ship than you yet understand."

A sort of whining, screeching sound tore through the room. Rose looked around, stepping toward Amy just in case whatever made that noise jumped out.

"Doctor, what is that?" Rose asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

"They're back," Octavian said.

"It's hard to put in your terms, Rose Tyler, but as best I understand it, the Angels are laughing," Angel Bob said.

"Laughing?" he asked.

"Because you haven't noticed yet, sir. The Doctor in the TARDIS hasn't noticed."

"Doctor," Octavian said.

"No. Wait," he said, standing up and holding a finger out to quiet the Bishop. "There's something I've…" he turned around catching sight of something on the wall behind him. "…missed."

He ran toward the wall, grabbing one of the cargo boxes and pushing it along in front of him. Rose turned around, trying to figure out what he was looking at. A crack. A crack in the wall that glowed with some kind of light. Pain shot through her head, a bit more than a headache and there was a feeling, an empty dark feeling. She winced, grabbing the side of her head.

"Rose," River said, from beside her. "What's wrong?"

"That's, that's, that's like the crack from my bedroom wall from when I was a little girl," Amy said, running up behind him.

The room began to shake violently. She felt River grab onto her arm to keep her from falling.

"Rose, tell me what's wrong," she demanded in a whisper, but a bit louder than the first one.

There was a glowing crack and Angels coming after them, the last thing she wanted to do was distract the Doctor.

"It's just a headache. It's nothing. I'm…" she caught River's gaze and the pain was gone. "It's gone now. I'm fine." The woman gave her a disbelieving look. "Really."

"Okay, enough. We're moving out," Octavian ordered.

"Agreed," River said, with her hand still on Rose's arm, "Doctor?"

"Yeah, fine," he replied as he climbed onto the cargo box.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked.

"Right with you," he said.

"Rose, come on, we've got to go," River said.

"I'm not leaving without him," Rose insisted.

"Oh, yes, you are. Bishop?" he called.

"Doctor Song, Ms. Pond, Rose Tyler," Octavian called.

"Amy, come on," River said, dragging Rose out of the room.

"River let me go," she insisted.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but I'm not leaving you behind."

"What about him? What about-"

At that moment she caught sight of Amy. She was just standing in the forest, but it was her expression that worried Rose. There was something wrong, something terribly wrong.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	27. Flesh and Stone Part 2

"Amy?" Rose asked.

River released her arm and in the next moment they were beside the girl.

"Amy, what's wrong?" River inquired, taking the girl's shoulders and looking at her.

"Four," Amy said, and then swayed.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked.

Amy said down on a flat, moss covered boulder. Rose bent down next to her, but the girl seemed very out of sorts. She laid down on the boulder, her breathing becoming ragged. Rose took her hand and gave the woman a worried look.

"Med scanner, now," River demanded.

One of the Clerics hurried over, handing the woman a med scanner.

"Doctor Song, we can't stay here. We've got to keep moving," Octavian said.

"We wait for the Doctor," Rose said, glancing at him, as River wrapped the med scanner around Amy's arm.

There was no way in hell they were leaving without him, especially with Amy like that. He'd know what to do. He had to. The Bishop walked over, leaning down toward her.

"Our mission is to make this wreckage safe and neutralize the Angels. Until that is achieved-"

"Father Octavian," River interrupted, "when the Doctor and Rose are in the room, your one and only mission is to keep them alive long enough to get everyone else home." She turned around eyeing him. "And trust me, it's not easy."

River turned back and began making adjustments to the med scanner.

"He should've been here by now," Rose said, worried about him and Amy and how the hell they were going to get out of there.

"I'm sure he's fine," River said, catching her eye.

"I hope you're right, but if he is I'm going to kill him."

"No you won't," the Doctor said. She turned around to find him standing on a slight hill near them. His jacket was missing, but he looked all right. "Bishop," He hopped down to where they were, "the Angels are in the forest."

"We need visual contact on every line of approach," Octavian ordered the Clerics.

The Doctor bent down next to Rose, looking over Amy. Rose was torn between hugging him and slapping him, but instead of either she let him focus on the girl.

"How did you get past them?" River asked.

"I found a crack in the wall and told them it was the end of the universe."

"What was it?" Rose inquired.

"The end of the universe." He looked at the readings on the Med scanner. "Let's have a look, then."

"So, what's wrong with me?" the girl asked.

"Nothing, Amy. You're fine," Rose said.

"Everything. You're dying," he replied in that worried voice.

"Doctor!" Rose snapped, Amy didn't need to hear that.

He caught Rose's gaze and she could see worry and fear in his eyes.

"Yes, you're right," he snapped. "If we lie to her, she'll get all better. Right. Amy, Amy, Amy." He leaned down, looking at her. "What's the matter with Amelia? Something's in her eye." He sat up, looking at Rose. "What does that mean? Does it mean anything?"

"Doctor," the girl said in a frightened voice.

Rose gave her hand a squeeze.

"Busy," he dismissed.

"Scared," Amy replied.

"Course you're scared. You're dying. Shut up."

Yes, Rose could definitely slap him.

"It's okay," River said, bending down on the girl's other side.

"What happened?" he asked standing up and then glancing at Rose.

"She stared at the Angel," she said.

He turned around, looking into the forest as he thought.

"She looked into the eyes of an Angel for too long-" he began.

"Sir! Angel incoming."

"And here."

"Keep visual contact. Do not let it move."

"Come on," He turned around gazing at Rose, "come on, come on."

"She watched an Angel climb out of the screen," Rose said.

"She stared at the Angel and, and…"

"The image of an Angel is an Angel," Rose said, remembering what was written in the book.

"A living mental image in a living human mind. But we stare at them to stop them getting closer." He knelt down next to Rose, catching her gaze. "We don't even blink, and that's is exactly what they want. Because as long as our eyes are open they can climb inside. There's an Angel in her mind."

He clapped his hands over his mouth looking at Amy, realizing what he said. There was an Angel inside Amy. Rose gazed at the girl. This was bad, really bad. How were they supposed to stop it? If they didn't she'd die. No! No, she couldn't die!

"Three," Amy said. He stood up, pulling the communicator from his back pocket. "Doctor, it's coming. I can feel it. I'm going to die."

"Please just shut up. I'm thinking." He glanced at Rose. "Now, counting. What's that about?" He turned around, lifting the communicator and pressing the button. "Bob, why are they making her count?"

"To make her afraid, sir," Angel Bob said.

"Okay, but why? What for?"

"For fun, sir."

He growled in frustration and then threw the communicator. Angry, yes, very. He had to calm down. They needed to save Amy and get everyone out of there and that wouldn't happen if he lost it.

"Doctor, Rose, what's happening to me? Explain," Amy said in a very frightened voice.

"Inside your head, in the vision centers of your brain, there's an Angel. It's like there's a screen, a virtual screen inside your mind and the Angel is climbing out of it, and it's coming…" he caught Rose's gaze, "…to shut you off."

"Then what do I do?"

"If it was a real screen, what would we do?" he asked, looking at Rose.

"We'd turn it off," she said.

"Pull the plug, kill the power," he agreed. "But we can't just knock her out, the Angel would just take over."

"Then what? Quickly," River demanded.

"We've got to shut down the vision centers of her brain. We've got to pull the plug. Starve the Angel," he said.

"Hurry up you two, she's got seconds," River said, looking at the Med scanner readings.

He crouched down in front of Rose, gazing into her eyes.

"How would you starve your lungs?" he asked.

"I'd stop breathing," she said.

He moved over next to Amy.

"Amy, close your eyes."

"No. No, I don't want to," the girl said.

"Good because that's not you, that's the Angel inside you. It's afraid. Do it. Close your eyes."

The girl gazed at the Doctor for a moment and then squeezed her eyes shut.

"She's normalizing," River said, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, you did it. You did it," Rose said, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him.

"No, we did it," he said, pulling her close.

"Sir? Two more incoming," one of the Clerics called.

"Three more over here," another Cleric said.

Amy sat up, slowly.

"Still weak. Dangerous to move her," River said.

"So, can I open my eyes now?" Amy asked.

"Amy, listen to me," the Doctor said, bending down in front of her. "If you open your eyes now for more than a second, you will die. The Angel is still inside you. We haven't stopped it, we've just sort of…" He looked down and then back at her. "…paused it. You've used up your countdown. You cannot open your eyes."

As he talked River wrapped her arm around Amy in that familiar sort of way, like close friends or family. Who was Amy to River? There was something there. Rose could see it, she just wasn't sure what it was.

"Doctor, we're too exposed here. We have to move on," Octavian called.

"We're too exposed everywhere," he said, standing up. "And Amy can't move. And anyway, that's not the plan."

"You've got a plan?" Rose asked.

"I don't know yet. I haven't finished talking." He walked to her left. "Right! Father, you and your Clerics, you're going to stay here, look after Amy. If anything happens to her, I'll hold every single one of you personally responsible, twice. Rose, you, me, and River, we're going to find the Primary Flight Deck which is…" He licked his finger and held it up, moving it right, left, and then behind as he turned around. "A quarter of a mile straight ahead, and from there we're going to stabilize the wreckage, stop the Angels and cure Amy."

"How?" River asked.

"I'll do a thing," he said, stopping in front of her.

"What thing?"

"I don't know. It's a thing in progress. Respect the thing," Rose laughed. He turned around, grinning at her and then clapped his hands and pointed in the direction they were going. "Moving out!"

"Doctor," Octavian said, stepping in front of him. "I'm coming with you. My Clerics'll look after Miss Pond. These are my best men. They'd lay down their lives in her protection."

"I don't need you."

"I don't care. Where Doctor Song goes, I go," the Bishop insisted.

He glanced from Octavian to River.

"And…um…actually I'm not coming," Rose said, walking up next to him.

He turned around and gave her a _I must have heard you wrong _look.

"Sorry?" he asked.

She knew he wasn't going to be happy about it, but she couldn't leave Amy on her own. The girl couldn't see. She had no way to protect herself. Sure, the Clerics would be there, but Amy didn't know them. She felt like Amy was just as much her responsibility as she was the Doctor's.

"Amy shouldn't be left on her own," she said.

"She won't be on her own. She'll have the Clerics," he insisted, giving her a very _not at all happy _look.

"Yeah, but she doesn't know them."

"So, she'll make friends."

Rose folded her arms over her chest. She wasn't backing down from this.

"Doctor, I'm not leaving her."

"Doctor? Please, can't I come with you?" Amy asked.

He glanced from Rose to the girl and then back. She raised her brow as if to say _See?_

"You'd slow us down, Miss Pond," Octavian said, making Rose want to slap him.

"I don't want to sound selfish, but you'd really speed me up."

The Doctor walked over and sat down next to Amy.

"You'll be safer here," he said. "We can't protect you on the move. I'll be back for you soon as I can, I promise."

"You always say that."

"I always come back."

He stood up and Rose faced him.

"I'm staying, Doctor, and that's final," she insisted.

He glanced from Amy to her and then smiled.

"No changing your mind then?" he asked.

"No," she said and couldn't help grinning at him.

"You drive me mad, you realize that?" he asked, cupping her cheeks in his hands as he bent down, resting his forehead against hers. Then he leaned back, gazing in her eyes. "I'll be back soon as I can. If there's any sign of trouble, any at all-"

"I know what to do," she said, resting her hand on his chest. "Same thing you told me all those years ago. Run."

He grinned and then released her as he turned to the others.

"Good luck, everyone. Behave. Don't let that girl open her eyes. And keep watching the forest. Stop those Angels advancing. Amy, later. River, going to need your computer!"

"Yeah. Later," Amy called.

"River," Rose called, taking a few steps toward them. The woman looked up. "Watch him."

"I will," the woman said.

Rose stood there watching the Doctor until she couldn't see him anymore. She heard Amy talking behind her, but assumed she was chatting with one of the Clerics, only, when she turned around the girl was alone. The Clerics were keeping watch on all sides. She walked over to the boulder and sat down next to Amy.

"Who's that? Who's there?" Amy asked.

"It's just me," Rose said.

"You stayed?"

"Course I did. We're being pursued by Weeping Angels, trapped in a spaceship with no chance of escape, you think I'm going to leave you to have all the fun on your own?"

Amy laughed.

"Thanks," the girl said after a few minutes. "I know you'd rather be running off with the Doctor, but I'm glad you stayed."

"After all that running it's kind of nice to sit. So…" She tried to think of something to talk about.

She knew about Amy's family. That they were gone, but she didn't want to ask about that. She had her own wounds from being separated from hers. Job? No, too ordinary. Friends? Maybe.

"You've known the Doctor for a long time, yeah?" Amy asked.

"Years, but it seems like I've known him forever," Rose said.

"As if you've known him your whole life."

It wasn't a question. She knew the girl had feelings for him. It was like Madame Du Pompadour. She smiled, even though Amy couldn't see it.

"Yes, but different. It's like I know him, like he's somehow part of me. I don't know. It's hard to explain. I met him a long time ago, at least, it seems like a long time, probably because I've changed to much. I was a different person then."

"Where did you meet him?"

"The basement of the department store I worked in. There were these mannequins and they started moving. I thought it was some kind of college prank, but I was still scared. I mean, they were getting closer and closer and then he was there, as if he just appeared out of nowhere. He took my hand and said one word. Run. And we ran."

"And you traveled with him after that?"

"Yeah, for two years."

"And then you left?"

"I…well," she sighed, "it's complicated."

"Complicated," Amy laughed. "Yeah, that about covers my life too."

Rose looked at her, really looked. There was something she was hiding. Something she was…

"Amy, what are running from?"

"Sorry?" the girl asked, taken back.

"The Doctor's been running for a long time. I ran with him. I know what running looks like, yeah? So, what're you running from?"

"I can see why he loves you. You're good."

"Sorry?" Rose asked, taken back herself.

"The Doctor. Oh, come on, even I can see it and I can't see anything right now. He's in love with you and you're in love with him."

"Amy, that's…I mean, that's…" Rose stammered. In love with her? Well, he was, but that was way back before everything changed. Could he still feel that way? After he changed? She shook her head. "I know what you're doing."

"What am I doing?"

"Trying to change the subject."

The tree lights flickered. Oh. That was really not good. The Angels were coming, trying to take out the lights. She glanced at the Clerics.

"The Angels are still grouping. Are you getting this too?" Marco asked.

"The trees? Yeah," Pedro said.

"What'd they say? What's wrong with the trees?" Amy asked, a bit of fear creeping into her voice.

"It's…it's all right," Rose said.

"Here too, sir. They're ripping the Treeborgs apart," Crispin said.

"And here. They're taking out the lights," Phillip replied.

"What is it? What's happening? Tell me," Amy insisted.

"It's the Angels. They're making the lights from the trees go out," Rose said.

"What do we do? Should we run? We should run, yeah?" Amy asked, nearly panicked.

Probably, but she wasn't sure if Amy should move yet, not after what happened and she couldn't chance losing her. The Doctor would come through. He always did.

"We're safer if we stay here for now. The Clerics have us covered, if we move there's a chance one of them could slip close enough," Rose said, it wasn't entirely a lie, though the whole safer there bit definitely wasn't true.

"Angels advancing, sir," Pedro said.

"Over here again," Crispin called.

"Weapons primed. Combat distance five feet. Wait for it," Marco ordered.

"What is it? What's happening?" Amy asked.

"It'll be all right, Amy, just keep your eyes shut," Rose insisted.

"Tell me what's happening!"

"The Angels are getting closer," Phillip said.

A bright light flooded through the forest.

"What is that?" Rose asked, standing up to get a better look, pain lanced through her head, not just pain, fire. It felt like her mind was burning. She screamed, grabbing the sides of her head and doubled over. The pain was accompanied by that feeling. That empty, dark feeling that made her blood run cold.

"Rose? Rose, what's wrong?" Amy shouted, panicking.

"It…it's…" She tried to work through the pain, tried to tell Amy she was all right because if the girl opened her eyes…she couldn't let that happen.

"Ma'am? Ma'am what's wrong?" Marco asked, rushing over to her.

"It's…I…I don't know…it's…"

She squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of fire burned through her mind and then it was gone. Just gone. She opened her eyes and the pain returned. She screamed.

"Ma'am?" Marco asked, concerned.

"What's happening to her? Rose?" Amy insisted.

She squeezed her eyes shut and the pain was gone again. She hadn't looked into the eyes of an Angel so she knew that wasn't it, which meant it was the light. For some reason the light burned her, no not her, her mind. It felt like it was tearing her mind apart, burning through it.

"I'm okay," Rose said, standing up and making sure to keep her eyes shut.

"I should notify the Doctor," Marco said.

"No, it's fine. I'm all right now."

"If you're sure."

"Yeah, I am, but…um…could you help me sit down, next to Amy."

"Why do you need help sitting?"Amy asked.

"It's the light. It burns my eyes. They're um…sensitive to light."

Marco helped her sit and then left.

"Marco, the Angels have gone. Where'd they go?" Pedro asked.

"You are so lying," Amy said.

"Not really. It does burn, but not my eyes. As long as I keep them closed I'm fine."

"There's still movement out there, but away from us now. It's like they're running," Crispin said.

"Wait. Running? Running from what?" Amy asked.

"There's a light, it's a sort of energy curtain. That's what I can't look at," Rose replied.

"You said it burns, but not your eyes. What'd you mean?"

"My mind. It make me feel like my mind's burning. I felt it a little around that other crack. The one the Doctor scanned, but that energy curtain. It felt like it was going to burn my mind out, like I was going to…" she trailed off not wanting to finish that thought.

"Phillip, Crispin, need to get a closer look at that," Marco ordered.

Rose felt Amy stand up. She reached for the girl's hand.

"Amy, what're you doing? You need to sit down," she insisted.

"Point me at the light," Amy said.

"You can't open your eyes."

What the hell was she doing? She'd die if she opened her eyes.

"I can't open them for more than a second, that's what the Doctor said. Still got a bit of countdown left."

She heard movement as someone walked over to them.

"Ma'am, you can't," Marco said, next to her.

"Amy, he's right. It's not safe," Rose insisted.

Why did she want to see the energy curtain? It seemed important to her, but important enough to risk her life?

"I need to see it. Am I looking the right way? I have to be quick," Amy said.

"Very quick," Marco said.

She heard movement.

"Okay."

Amy gasped.

"It's the same shape. It's the crack in my wall," the girl insisted.

"Close your eyes, now," Marco ordered.

"It's following me! How can it be following me?"

"Amy, are you okay? Amy?" Rose asked.

"Yeah. It was the same shape."

She sat back down on the boulder, or maybe Marco helped her sit down.

"It's not following you," Rose said.

Cracks, even cracks in the universe didn't follow people around. That didn't make any sense, but Amy believed it. Hopefully the Doctor could talk her out of that.

"Marco, you want me to get a closer look at that?" Pedro asked.

"Go for it. Don't get too close," Marco ordered.

"Hang on. What about the other two? Why not just wait until they're back?" Amy asked.

"What other two?" Marco inquired.

Hang on. What?

"The two Clerics you sent before," Rose said.

"I didn't send anyone before."

"You did, we heard you," Amy insisted.

"Crispin and Phillip," Rose said.

"Crispin and who?" Marco asked. "There was never a Crispin or a Phillip on this mission."

He didn't remember them. Why wouldn't he remember them?

"No, we heard you. Before you sent Pedro, you sent Crispin and Phillip, and now you don't remember them," Amy said.

"Pedro?"

"Yeah, before you sent Pedro," Rose said.

"Who's Pedro?"

"Something's happening. What's happening, Rose? Why doesn't he remember Pedro?" Amy asked.

Crispin and Phillip went to check out the energy curtain and now Marco didn't remember them. Pedro had gone next and Marco didn't remember him either. There must be something going on with that light, that energy curtain. Something really bad.

"There never was a Pedro. There's only ever been the three of us here," Marco said.

"It must have something to do with that light," Rose said. "They all tried to get a closer look and now they're gone and he doesn't remember them."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I need to get a closer look at that light, whatever it is. Don't worry, I won't get too close."

"No. No, you can't," Amy insisted.

"Marco, you mustn't," Rose said.

"Here. Spare communicator," he said, setting it in Rose's hand.

"Give it to Amy," Rose said, the girl was more upset and the communicator would be a distraction.

Not that Rose wasn't upset, but she had more experience keeping it together. She wanted to keep Marco from going, but he wasn't listening. He didn't remember the other Clerics he'd sent in, so he didn't remember them disappearing.

"Here. I'll stay in touch the whole time," he said.

"You won't," Amy insisted. "Because if you go back there what happened to the others will happen to you."

"There weren't any others."

"There won't be any you if you go back there."

"Two minutes. I promise."

"Please, just listen to me!" Amy shouted.

Rose heard him walk off towards the light, his footsteps getting farther and farther away. Knowing that they'd never see him again and there wasn't anything she could do to stop him.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	28. Flesh and Stone Part 3

Rose was sitting next to Amy. Marco had gone off to check on that light, which was similar to the crack in Amy's wall, although the girl thought it was the same crack, but of course it couldn't be. Although, Rose wasn't entirely sure what it was. All she knew was that for some reason it affected her. Looking at it made her mind feel like it was burning and, more than that, it made her feel empty and cold like she was in the dark, like she was in the dark alone, it felt like what she assumed dying would feel like.

"Where is he? Shouldn't he have checked in by now?" Amy asked, panicking.

"You've got the communicator," Rose said as calmly as she could.

She reached out, taking Amy's hand.

"Oh. Right." Amy picked up the communicator. "Hello? Are you there? Hello? Hello?"

"I'm here. I'm fine. Quite close to it now," Marco said.

"Then come back. Come back now, please."

"It's weird looking at it. It feels really-"

And then there was a bit of static and nothing. He was gone. She wasn't sure if the Angels got him or if it had something to do with that light.

"Really what? Hello? Really what?"

"Amy," Rose said, trying to calm her down.

"Hello? Hello? Hello?"

She gave the girl's hand a squeeze.

"Amy, it's all right."

"Please say you're there. Hello? Hello?"

"Amy? Amy? Is that you?" the Doctor said through the communicator.

Rose sighed in relief. Not only sure his voice would calm Amy down, but knowing that he could get them out of there.

"Doctor?" Amy asked.

"Where are you? Are the Clerics with you?" he inquired.

"They've gone. There was a light and they walked into the light. Doctor, they didn't even remember each other."

"No, they wouldn't."

So, he figured out what was going on. That was good, though she'd like to know, but that could wait until he got to them.

"What is that light?" the girl asked.

"Time running out," he said. Wait. What? Time running out? How could time run out? "Amy, I'm sorry, I made a mistake. I should never have left you there. Where's Rose? Is she there? Is she with you?"

"Yeah, she's here, but, what do we do now?"

"Both of you will have to come to us. The Primary Flight Deck, the other end of the forest."

Come to him? That wasn't going to be easy, especially with all those Angels out there and the fact that neither one of them could see.

"I can't see. I can't open my eyes," Amy protested.

"It's a good job Rose is there then," he said.

About that…

"But she can't see either."

"Sorry?" he asked in concern. "What do you mean, she can't see? Why can't Rose see? What's happened to her?"

She heard him go from concerned to panicked, which was bad, really bad. If they were going to get out of this that couldn't happen. She took the communicator from Amy.

"Doctor? Doctor, are you there?" she asked.

"Rose? Yes, I'm here, what happened? Why can't you see?" he asked and, yes, she could definitely hear fear in his voice.

"It's fine. I'm fine. Really. Don't worry about me."

"Tell me what happened!"

"It's the light. I can't look at the light."

"Why?"

Concern. Definitely concern, but at least that was a few steps down from panic.

"As long as I keep my eyes closed I'm fine. Look, I know you're worried, but we need to get to you. I'm not hurt. I really am fine. I just can't open my eyes. Now, how do we get there?"

"Take Amy's hand and stand up," he said.

She could hear the frustration in his voice, that bit of anger beneath the surface, but there was nothing for it. They needed to get through the forest as quickly as possible.

She took Amy's hand with her free one and they both stood up.

"What now?" she asked.

"Turn on the spot. When the communicator sounds like my screwdriver that means you're facing the right way. Follow the sound."

She turned, slowly, until the noise sounded like his sonic.

"Okay, got it," she said.

"All right, Amy, you need to get directly behind Rose. Put your hand on her shoulder."

"Why?" Amy asked, frightened and Rose could tell she didn't want to be doing any of this. Didn't want to be walking through the forest blindly, but it couldn't be helped.

"Just do it! You have to start moving now!" he yelled.

"Doctor!" Rose chastised.

Amy was upset and scared. Hell, she couldn't open her eyes because there was an Angel inside of her mind. If she did she'd die. He didn't have to yell at her.

"Rose, there's Time Energy spilling out of that crack and you two have to stay ahead of it."

Time Energy? Like the Time Energy she'd taken inside herself to save him? Well, what could it do? Was that what was responsible for making Marco forget about the other Clerics?

She felt Amy take her shoulder from behind. She was trembling slightly and Rose felt sorry for her. An Angel inside her mind and now walking blindly through a forest.

"But how are we going to get out of here? The Angels are everywhere?" Amy asked as Rose started moving forward.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but the Angels can only kill you."

Hang on. What did that mean?

"Doctor, what do you mean? What does the Time Energy do?" Rose asked.

"Just keep moving!" he insisted.

"Doctor, tell me what it does," Rose demanded.

"If the Time Energy catches up with you, you'll never have been born. It will erase every moment of your existence. You will never have lived at all. Now, tell Amy to keep her eyes shut and both of you keep moving."

"I'm right here. I can hear you just fine," Amy snapped.

So, the Time Energy erased people? Made it so they never existed? That must be why Marco didn't remember the other Clerics. That was definitely worse than death.

"Rose, I'm sending a bit of software to your communicator. It's a proximity detector. It'll beep if there's something in your way. You just maneuver till the beeping stops. Because, Rose, this is important." He paused and she could almost feel the tension hanging in the air. "The forest is full of Angels. Both of you are going to have to walk like you can see."

"What does that mean?" Amy asked.

"Look, just keep moving."

The communicator beeped.

"What's that?" Amy asked.

"It's a warning. There are Angels round both of you now. Rose, Amy, listen to me. This is going to be hard, but I know you can do it. The Angels are scared and running and right now they're not that interested in either one of you. They'll assume you can see them and their instincts will kick in. All you've got to do is walk like you can see."

Rose started forward, moving away from the beeping, but a moment later Amy tripped behind her and went down.

"Amy? Amy, where are you?" she asked.

"Down here," Amy said down and to her left.

Rose crouched down, feeling around for the girl.

"Where? Where are you?"

"I'm here," Amy called a bit further to her left, she moved toward Amy's voice. Her hand connected with what she hoped was Amy's arm. "Is that you? Is that your hand?"

"Yes, now come on."

She stood up, pulling Amy with her and in the next moment she had that tugging sensation that she usually felt when she teleported. Then someone was hugging her.

"It's me, Rose," the Doctor said.

"Doctor?" she asked.

"I teleported you both," River said. "See? Told you I could get it working."

She smiled into his shoulder. They were safe, away from the Angels and the Time Energy.

"River Song. I could bloody kiss you."

"Ah, well, I think I'll pass, but I'm sure Rose wouldn't mind a snog."

Sorry…what?

"Yes, well, you're all right now," the Doctor said, helping Rose off the teleporter. "Now, what's going on with your eyes?"

"It's not my eyes, it's the light," she said.

"We're inside the primary flight deck, the light from the Time Energy isn't in here."

She knew what he was asking, but the feeling that crack gave her, the pain and the feeling of death, of dying, it was still fresh in her mind. She cracked her eyes a bit. No pain. No burning sensation. She opened them more. He was staring at her in concern.

"Doctor, they're going to be here soon," River warned.

"Yes. Right," he said, leading Rose over to one of the consoles.

An alarm began to blare through the flight deck.

"What's that?" Rose asked, looking around in worry.

"The Angels are draining the last of the ship's power, which means the shield's going to release." He put Rose's hands on a bar at the bottom of the console. "Close your eyes," he said as the wall began to slide up. She closed her eyes. "Hold on, tight as you can, and don't let go."

He placed a kiss on the side of her cheek and then he was gone, moving across the room. She could hear him, hear his footfalls.

"Angel Bob, I presume," he said.

"The Time Field is coming. It will destroy our reality," Angel Bob replied.

"Yeah, and look at you all, running away. What can I do for you?"

"There is a rupture in time. The Angels calculate that if you throw yourself into it, it will close and they will be saved."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Could do, could do that. But why?"

"You're friends would also be saved."

"Well, there is that."

"Doctor, don't you dare!" Rose yelled. "I'll throw myself in before I let you do that!"

"Oh, be serious, Rose. Compared to me these Angels are more complicated than you."

"The Angels have calculated that Rose Tyler will also seal the rupture in time."

"How's that?" the Doctor asked and she could hear the surprise in his voice, but she was thinking about what the Angels said.

"See, it'll work. Throw me in!" she yelled.

"Sir, one of you must enter the Time Field," Angel Bob said.

"River, don't let him do it!" Rose called.

"Rose, get a grip," the Doctor said.

She heard movement and almost opened her eyes, but River's voice stopped her.

"Doctor, I can't let you do this," the woman yelled.

"No, seriously, get a grip," he said.

"River, don't you dare let him do it!" Rose called.

"No, I mean it. Rose, River, Amy, get a grip."

"Oh, you're a genius," River said. She heard someone hurry toward her. "Its fine, he's not going to, but hold on and don't let go," River whispered. Then she was gone, probably over to Amy.

"Sir, the Angels need one of you to sacrifice yourselves now."

"Thing is, Bob, the Angels are draining all the power from this ship. Every last bit of it. And you know what? I think they've forgotten where they're standing. I think they've forgotten the gravity of the situation. Or to put it another way, Angels. Night, night."

Then the Doctor was beside her and she felt like the floor was turned straight up. Her feet went out from under her, but she clung to the bar.

**-0-**

Rose walked over to River while the Doctor talked to Amy. The woman was restrained by a pair of handcuffs. The Doctor told her what he learned about River from Octavian before the Bishop died. It was hard for her to believe. Granted, she didn't know the woman very well, but murder? It didn't fit. Rose relied on her instincts and all of them told her River wasn't like that. If she killed someone then there was a reason, a good reason, had to be.

"So, back to…" she began.

"Prison, yeah," River replied. Rose raised her brow. "I know you two. He tells you everything. You're the only one he does that for. Rule one never applied to you."

"Rule one?"

"The Doctor lies." River glanced up. "The prison ship's in orbit. They'll beam me up any second. I might have done enough to earn a pardon this time. We'll see."

River had all the answers. Rose learned a few things, but she knew she hadn't even scratched the surface.

"Father Octavian told the Doctor that you killed a man," she said.

A pained look crossed the woman's face. Not only regret, but a deep sadness, haunted even.

"Yes, I did," River said.

"Why?"

River laughed, which she found quite odd.

"It's a long story, Rose. It can't be told, it has to be lived. No sneak previews. Well, except for this one. You'll see me again quite soon, when the Pandorica opens."

"The Pandorica," the Doctor said from behind, making Rose jump because she didn't hear him walk over. "Ha! That's a fairytale."

"Aren't we all?" River asked, raising her brow. "I'll see you there."

"We look forward to it," the Doctor said.

"I remember it well."

"Bye, River," Amy said walking over to stand next to the woman.

"See you, Amy." Her cuffs beeped. "Oh, I think that's my ride."

River was beamed away in a whirl of sand. Rose turned around. The Doctor was standing near the water's edge, staring out into the horizon. She walked over to him and took his hand.

"What're you thinking?" she asked.

He turned his head, catching her gaze.

"Forever," he said, giving her a smile.

"Forever," she repeated, grinning.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	29. Flesh and Stone - Afterward

Warning: If you have issues with kissing, mentions of nakedness, and knickers you might not want to read this chapter. Otherwise, enjoy! :)

* * *

The Doctor sat in the harness working on the TARDIS while he tried to work out not only what was going on with the cracks and the fact that they revolved around Amy's time. Her wedding day, actually. Little Amelia Pond was getting married in the morning, well the morning after the day she left with him and Rose. He wasn't sure what that had to do with the cracks, but he'd gone to get Rory, her fiancé, not the good looking one, the other one, the one with the nose.

Then there was that whole business with Rose and the fact that everyone seemed to know who she was and what she would do in the future, everyone except him. River knew her. They would be friends. Best friends. Liz Ten heard stories about her. The Daleks believed a prophesy that said she'd destroy the Silence. The Angles claimed that throwing her in the Time Field would seal the crack the same as throwing him in. The only reason that could possibly happen would be if…Oh. Oh! He sat up and nearly fell out of the harness.

No. That couldn't be true. Couldn't possibly be true. The only way that could happen would be if she was exposed to massive quantities of Time Energy, more than looking into the Untempered Schism, it would be the equivalent of…Oh! He stood up and smacked his head. A Gallifreyan curse escaped his lips and the TARDIS shocked him.

"Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to…" he trailed off as he unhooked the harness and headed up the stairs.

Rose was sleeping, at least she ought to be sleeping. Amy and Rory were. Only, this couldn't wait. He had to know. Had to check. It made sense. If it was true…no, no, no, best not think about it. Not until he knew. Not until he was sure. He reached her door, turned the handle and stepped inside.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled.

He froze. His mind completely wiped. She wasn't naked, well, not really, well, there was a robe, a very short, very pink, very silk robe. It was also very short, he really liked the very short. Staring. He was staring. He clapped his hand over his eyes, kind of, sort of, well, he peeked.

"Doctor, I can see you, turn around," she ordered.

Yes, turn around. All right. He turned in a full circle.

"Doctor!" she yelled. "Turn around!"

"I did."

"Do it again."

He turned in a full circle again.

"Doctor!"

"What?" he asked, flinging his hands up in exasperation, which took his hand off his eyes.

"Doctor!"

She marched over to him, which with what she was wearing or what she wasn't wearing was nearly too much for his mind. He couldn't move. Couldn't even breathe. She grabbed his arms and spun him half way round so he was facing the hall. Then she shoved him out into the hall and slammed the door shut.

He turned around. Waiting…waiting…how long did it take to get dressed? He wanted to run that scan. Had to check. She was dressed now, wasn't she? Had to be done now? Why hadn't she come out? Was she waiting on him? Yes, that must be it. He grabbed the door handle and stepped into her room.

"Doctor!" she yelled, pulling her shorts over her…knickers? No, couldn't be that, there wasn't enough fabric. Well, whatever they were he really liked them, really, extremely liked them and the color violet. Lovely color, violet.

"Hello," he said, that being the only word he could manage at the moment.

"You were supposed to wait in the hall," she huffed, crossing the room toward him, looking quite angry and quite beautiful and…what had he come in there for?

"Doctor!" she snapped.

Oh, yes, she was upset because…because…was there a reason?

"Yes?" he asked.

"Why didn't you wait in the hall?"

"I did."

"For ten seconds."

"No, that was way longer than ten seconds."

She crossed her arms and glared at him, but he wasn't seeing that. He was seeing those knickers and what they covered and what they didn't cover.

"Doctor!"

He blinked. Oh, yes. Yelling. She was yelling at him.

"What?"

"I asked why you barged into my room twice."

"You did?"

"Yes."

"No, I don't think you did. I'd remember that."

"I did and you did."

"Did what?"

"Barged into my room twice."

"No, I walked in."

"Did you want something?"

"Yes. I wanted…" there was something. He'd come there for a reason. Knickers. No, no, that wasn't the reason. Legs. No, no, not the reason either, though she did have nice…Damn! What was the reason? Energy. Time Energy. Ha! That was the reason.

"I want you-" She raised her brow. "NO. Wait. Hang on. I MEAN SCAN. I want to scan you."

"Scan me?" she asked.

"Yes, exactly."

He pulled his sonic and scanned her then looked at the reading.

"No. No, it can't be."

"What? What is it?" she asked, leaning next to his shoulder, but he snapped his sonic closed and gazed at her. She was. She really truly was. "What, Doctor? Tell me!"

"You're, well, you're…" Wait. What if she took it bad? What if she didn't want to be different?

"What? Tell me!"

"I…um…I…" What the hell? He was going to lie. Planned on lying, just for now, just until he could figure out how she'd take the news, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. It was like the words just wouldn't come out.

"What's wrong? How bad is it?"

"It's not bad, well, I don't think it's bad, but you might think its bad, but it's not, I mean, I don't think it is-"

"Doctor," she said and with that look, the one that made him race into a fleet of Daleks to save her. "Just tell me."

"You're, um…you're not entirely human."

"Sorry…what?"

"You're human plus Time Energy. It must have happened when you looked into the heart of the TARDIS to save me. Either the TARDIS changed you or you did."

"What does that mean? Am I like you?"

"No, you're not a Time Lady, though you're close to one, but no, you're not."

"Then what am I?"

"You're human, basically, but you're also different. You're something new."

Her eyes flooded with…concern? Worry? Fear? Yes, all of those. He reached out, cupping her cheeks in his hands as he gazed into her eyes.

"We'll figure this out," he said.

"No, it's fine. I mean, I'm fine. Well, I'm not sure how I feel about the whole not human thing, but you'll figure it out. You always do. It's just, I keep getting this feeling like I've forgotten something and sometimes it's stronger."

"That's your mind trying to remember what happened. Don't force it. The memories will come on their own." He stepped back because he knew if he didn't at that moment he wouldn't be able to. Then he gave her a smile. "Now, how about a cuppa?"

**-0-**

He walked into the library with two cups of tea. She was sitting on the sofa where he left her, but she'd taken a book from one of the shelves and she was leafing through it while she waited. Though, now when he looked at her he kept remembering what he'd seen. Violet, lovely color, violet.

"Thanks," she said, as he handed over her cuppa.

He sat down next to her and took a sip of his tea, before setting it on the table. She took a drink and set her cup down then turned to him. Questions. Yes, he was prepared for that, though he wasn't sure he'd have answers.

"I was thinking while you were gone and I was wondering. Do you think the Time Energy's why I knew about the TARDIS?" she asked.

"Sorry?" he inquired, not entirely sure what she was getting at.

"About flying the TARDIS. I mean, I don't know what the buttons and levers do, but I felt like the blue ones were the stabilizers and that sort of thing."

"Oh. Um…" he hadn't thought about that. Well the TARDIS had Time Energy. So, well, it was entirely possible. "Perhaps. It sounds possible."

"But you don't know."

"No, not really."

"So, why were you upset?"

"Upset?"

He hadn't been upset, had he? He couldn't think of a reason why he'd be upset with her.

"About me flying the TARDIS. I mean, at first you thought it was lark and then you got upset."

"No, I…I wasn't upset, at least, not with you. It was-"

"River."

"Yes, exactly."

That woman, she, complicated things, unnecessarily. He knew he couldn't stop Rose from becoming her friend, her best friend…he almost rolled his eyes at the idea…because otherwise that would change what happened at the Library, but that didn't mean he had to like the idea.

"You don't like her, do you?" Rose asked.

"There are things she knows-" he began, choosing not to directly answer her question.

"And you don't like that. The not knowing."

"Yes, well, yes, I suppose that's part of it."

"What's the other part?"

"Well…I…um…I…" Why the hell couldn't he lie to her? "There are things I can't tell you."

"That future knowledge thing, yeah?"

"Yes, exactly."

"Well, then about the TARDIS, would you?"

"Would I?" he asked, not entirely sure what she wanted.

"Show me how to fly her?" she asked.

And there was one of those River based complications. Now, Rose had gotten it into her head that she ought to learn how to fly the TARDIS. He let her push a button or flip a lever occasionally, which had been enough until that woman came along.

"Sorry?" he asked.

"Please?" she begged and with that pouty look that used to make him, okay, still made him do whatever she asked. Only with that look and what she was wearing…what he'd seen under what she was wearing…Oh, this was really, extremely not good.

"I…um…um…" he cleared his throat.

"Please?"

She leaned her head on his shoulder, giving him those great big hazel eyes and now he wasn't thinking about the TARDIS or future knowledge or anything at all logical. It had to do with the color violet and…

"Knickers. NO. WAIT. I MEAN YES. I was aiming for yes. I accidentally said…um…"

"Knickers, you said knickers," she teased.

"Yes," he rubbed his forehead. "I know what I said."

"Did you see my knickers?"

And now she wasn't teasing, she was eyeing him with a bit of a glare thrown in. This was really not good.

"No, I mean, yes, I mean, you were changing in the middle of the room!"

"It's my room!"

"It's my TARDIS!"

"So because my room's in your TARDIS you can just walk in whenever you like?"

"Yes… I mean…yes. I meant yes."

"You said yes three times."

"Well it needed saying more than once."

"What if I hadn't been wearing anything?"

What if she what? So, no knickers? Well, now that would be…he felt a sharp pain on his chest.

"Oi!" she snapped his bracers! "That hurts!"

He rubbed his chest.

"Well, good, maybe you'll answer me now."

"Answer you?"

"I asked, what if I hadn't been wearing anything?"

"Yes, I heard you."

"Three times."

"Sorry?"

"I asked that question three times."

"No, you didn't. I would've heard you."

"Maybe if you hadn't been thinking about my knickers you would've heard me."

"I was not thinking about your knickers."

"Then what were you thinking about?"

Naked…no, don't say that, can't say that. What should he say? Um…nothing came to mind. Wait. She'd asked a question hadn't she? Yes, he was fairly sure she had.

"What you asked," he replied.

"What I asked?" she inquired.

"Yes."

She eyed him.

"Hang on. Were you thinking about walking in on me when I wasn't wearing anything at all?"

Wait! Is that what she asked?

"Yes. NO. No, I meant no. I was aiming for no."

"You were, weren't you?"

"Yes, no, no. No, I was not."

"You're so full of it," she laughed.

Laughing? Well, laughing was good. Usually, well, except when it wasn't.

"It's your fault," he accused.

"My fault? How is making you think of walking in on me undressed my fault?" she asked.

"Look at what you're wearing."

"What?" she asked glancing down at her outfit.

"This is the third night in a row you've run around my TARDIS half…" don't think naked, don't think naked. Damn! Too late.

"Half what?"

"Half…you know." He gestured at her clothes.

"It didn't bother you before."

"You didn't dress like that before."

"Actually, I did, you've just never seen me in my pajamas."

Sorry? What did she call those?

"Those're pajamas?"

"Yeah, they're for sleeping."

"But you're not sleeping."

"Can't help it if I'm not tired. I could put something else on if you like," she said, standing up, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

"No. No, no, no, it's perfect. FINE. I meant fine. What you're wearing is fine."

"Doctor?" she asked and there was something in her voice.

"Yes?" he inquired.

She was close, very close. She hadn't been that close before had she?

"You pulled me down in your lap."

"Sorry?"

He pulled her down in his what? Lap? Did she say…

"I'm sitting in your lap."

Really, really, extremely not good.

"Rose Tyler, why are you sitting in my lap?"

"Because you pulled me down in your lap, Doctor. This is entirely your fault."

"My fault?"

"Yes, your fault."

"If it's my fault then why're you still sitting there?"

"Because you're hands are wrapped around my waist and I can't move."

His hands were what? Oh. Um…

"You see? This is what I was talking about. You see what I've been putting up with?" Amy asked.

"Amy!" the Doctor shouted, standing up, which unfortunately made Rose slid off his lap and land on the floor. "Oh, um, sorry about that."

"It's okay," Rose said as he reached down and helped her up.

"You do realize there is a door," Amy said.

"Sorry?"

"If you're going to be doing-"

Really, really extremely not good.

"We weren't doing anything," he insisted.

"Really?" Amy asked, raising her brow.

"Yes, really."

"Well could you keep your _we're not doing anything _down? Come on, Rory."

She turned and walked down the hall.

"Well," the Doctor said, feeling a bit out of sorts. "I should probably finish the wiring."

"Yeah, and I should probably-" Rose began.

The library door slamming shut cut her off.

"What?" he exclaimed.

"Did the door just shut on its own?"

He ran over to the door and tried to open it.

"Locked."

"Locked?"

He pulled his sonic and tried to open it, but it wasn't working.

"What're you doing?" he asked, looking around the room.

He heard the TARDIS, well, voice wasn't really the way to put it. It was more like her feelings inside his mind.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"She locked us in," he said.

"The TARDIS?"

"What're you…" The lights flickered. "What?" he exclaimed.

"What? What is it?"

"It's," he glanced at Rose. No. No, he couldn't tell her. "I'm not doing it." The lights flickered again. "No! No, I'm not!"

"What's she want?"

"She wants," he glanced at Rose again. Then swallowed. "Well, it's…well…" The lights flickered. He turned his attention to the ceiling. "Yes, I heard you."

"What?" Rose asked.

He sighed. If they were ever going to get out of that room he'd have to do it.

"I…there's something I've been meaning to tell you, but I decided to wait because I wasn't sure if you still felt the way you used to feel because of everything I did and because I changed, but I've wanted to say it almost from the moment I took your hand in the basement of that department store. I've wanted to say it, but I held it back because I was afraid. Afraid of what admitting it would do, that you'd change, that we'd change. Afraid that I'd lose you, but then I did lose you and it didn't matter that I held those words back because it hurt just as much, maybe more. The day you were ripped away from me it…it nearly killed me. Then I wanted to say it when you came back. Only, after what Caan said I thought I'd lose you. I thought he was talking about you. So I kept those words and I left you and I am so sorry, so very, very sorry I did that to you. I'm not even sure if you can forgive me for what I did because I know how you felt, but I couldn't lose you, not like that. Only, I did lose you and after I left, after I walked away something broke…something inside my hearts, my..." He could feel tears burning his eyes and he could see them in hers.

"Of course I forgive you. You're my Doctor and you'll always be my Doctor no matter what."

"Rose Tyler, I…I love you."

And in the next moment she grabbed his lapels and pulled him down and his lips met the softness of hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he deepened the kiss, inveloped in the scent of strawberries and cream. It was her, her scent, even back in that department store. A scent that drove him mad when she was near and brought him to his knees after he lost her.

Her arms wound around his neck. He could taste the tea on her lips and he never thought tea had tasted so sweet. He slid his hand up and tangled his fingers in her blonde hair. He felt her sigh and he knew he was inching over the edge, but he didn't care.

She was soft and sweet and fire and passion and he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anything in over nine hundred years. It wasn't just want, it was need, a need that burned through him. He could feel the same want, the same need radiating from her. He could feel it in his mind. In the…He pulled away.

"Rose?" he asked, gazing into her eyes.

"Um…" she said, a bit dazed, yes she seemed dazed, well out of sorts, well they had just been snogging, but this was important. Not that snogging wasn't important, especially with her, but this was different. He'd felt something in the dark, in the quiet, in that silent place in his mind. "Yeah?"

"You…" What was he going to ask? How was he going to ask? She was human, well, she used to be, but now she was…something new. Telepathic? Yes, she must be, but not just telepathic. She'd reached into that place. That cold, dark, lonely place. It was her. He was positive. It felt like her.

"I, what?" she asked.

"You reached into my mind," he said, gazing into her eyes.

"Sorry?"

"Your mind reached out to mine." She stared at him for a few moments and he could tell she had no idea what he was talking about. So, she hadn't done it on purpose. It had to have something to do with what she was, but the only way for him to know for sure would be to check, to go into her mind, but that was risky. Not only because of the memories she blocked, but also because of other…complications.

"What do you mean my mind reached out to yours?"

"I think…" he couldn't lie, but it wasn't a lie, not really, well, it was a half truth, but he couldn't tell her, not until he knew and he couldn't know until he checked and he couldn't check until it was safe, although, even then, it wouldn't be entirely safe because of the complications, but the chances of that happening were so slim they almost didn't exist.

"You think what?" she asked.

"I think you're telepathic," he said.

"Sorry…what?"

"I think its part of what you are."

"From the Time Energy and not being entirely human?"

"Exactly."

"Telepathic? Does that mean I'm going to hear what other people are thinking?"

"No, well, yes, well, I don't know. It depends, but I'll help you. We'll figure this out together," he said, giving her a smile.

"Yeah, together," she replied with that cheeky grin that made him want to grab her and give her another snog, but he couldn't do that, couldn't chance her reaching out again. That was dangerous, especially with him, especially with how he felt about her and what might come of it. Yes, best to avoid that. That would be really, extremely not good.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	30. Discovery

John walked down the corridor toward the laboratory where a team of Kahler scientists worked on the box. It was nearly ready. He smiled, remembering the fear the Time Lord felt when he'd been forced into it the first go round. The Doctor would regret not only beating him by cheating, but taking the girl as well. John would have her back one way or the other.

The Cybermen had spotted the TARDIS a few days ago chasing after a starliner, but they lost track of her after the ship crashed, which meant she probably cloaked herself. No matter. Everything would be in place soon. He'd collect Rose and the Doctor would be out of his life, everyone's lives, for good.

There were a few things to take care of first, Amelia Pond being one of them because this time when the Doctor sealed the cracks John would make sure there wasn't anyone to bring the Time Lord back. He'd be trapped on the wrong side for the rest of time.

John entered the laboratory. The box dominated the center of the room. It was open while one of the scientists worked on the inside. He crossed the room, smiling at the sight. The perfect prison. He ran his hand along the cool surface. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

"Sir," one of the Kahler scientists said, walking over to him.

Kahler Vex…he was fairly sure that was the man's name, not that he actually cared, but their help didn't stem from threats or kidnapping. They were helping because of the cracks and that meant he had to play nice…well, nice for him.

"Yes?" he snapped, a bit irritated at having been interrupted while he was picturing what the Doctor's face might look like when he realized what the box was and who it was for.

"The blood sample you gave me. The one you wanted me to run some tests on. It's changing."

John eyed the Kahler. The Doctor, the box, even his plan falling to the background as he focused his full attention on the scientist and what he was saying. Changing?

"Show me," he ordered.

The Kahler turned around and led him over to the table where he'd been examining the blood sample, Rose's blood sample, as he ran tests. John would've run them himself, but acquiring allies, overseeing the construction of the box, and building The Alliance didn't leave a lot of time.

"It's…um…" the Kahler stammered indicating the microscope. "…well, if you take a look you'll see what I mean."

John looked through the microscope. He watched the cells move around, but that wasn't the interesting part. Inside each cell there seemed to be glowing bits, almost phosphorescent. Oh, that was interesting.

"I wasn't sure what was going on so I ran it through the computer and…well…" The Kahler continued. "You might want to see this for yourself."

John stood up and looked at the monitor. But…what? It was…the Time Energy was glowing.

"It's active," he whispered, a bit stunned.

"Yes, it appears so. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but-"

"It means she's going to change."

"Sorry?" the scientist asked, as if he had no idea what John was talking about.

He glanced at the scientist.

"When did this happen?" he asked.

He checked her blood before, back when he was in Jack's body. The Time Energy was wrapped around her DNA same as it still was, but it hadn't been glowing then.

"There was an accident," the scientist said, a bit nervously.

"Accident?" John asked, raising his brow.

"One of the humans, the assistants, overheated the incubator and-"

"But that should've destroyed the sample."

"Should have. Yes."

But…that should have…He gazed at the monitor. Oh, very interesting. That meant…Oh, yes! He smiled. She would change and now he knew exactly how to make her change.

"Brilliant!" he exclaimed.

What would she become? Something he could use. Something he would use.

"Sir?" the Kahler asked.

Yes. Right. He eyed the scientist.

"Run some more tests. See if you can destroy that sample."

"Destroy it?"

"Extreme heat, cold, electricity, get creative. Give me your findings when you're finished."

He walked back over to the box to assess the progress. The plan was more important than ever. He had to get the Doctor out of the picture before the other Time Lord found out. Whatever was inside of her was dormant for now, but once it woke, once she began to change, well, John planned on having her back by then. He wasn't entirely sure what she would become once she changed. Something new. Something powerful. Whatever it was he would have that power for himself.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	31. The Vampires of Venice Part 1

Rose followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS and looked around the marketplace as Amy and Rory stepped out.

"Venice," he exclaimed, spreading his arms wide, making her laugh.

Seventeenth Century Venice. She gazed around at the colorful clothes and then glanced down at the jeans, pale blue tank top and trainers she was wearing, feeling very out of place, but the Doctor told her they'd be fine just as they were and she trusted him.

"Venetia. La Serenissima." He glanced at Rose, taking her hand and then stepped toward the canal. "Impossible city. Preposterous city." He looked at Rose, she grinned at the excitement in his eyes. "Founded by refugees running from Attila the Hun. It was just a collection of little wooden huts in the middle of the marsh, but" He turned around and led her through the market as Amy and Rory followed. She glanced at them and could see excitement in both their eyes. "became one of the most powerful cities in the world. Constantly being invaded. Constantly flooding, constantly just beautiful. Ah, you got to love Venice. So many people did. Byron, Napoleon, Casanova." He froze, lifting their hands to glance at his watch. "Ooo, that reminds me. 1580." He looked up, thinking. "That's all right." He glanced at her. "Casanova doesn't get born for a hundred and forty five years. Don't want to run into him. I owe him a chicken."

"You own Casanova a chicken?" she asked, laughing.

"Long story. We had a bet," he replied, leading her into an alley, but they were stopped by a man stepping in front of them.

He was older, white hair and beard, wearing expensive looking clothes and a plumed hat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," he said. "Papers, if you please. Proof of residency, current bill of medical inspection."

The Doctor pulled out his psychic paper and handed it over. The man snatched it.

"There you go, fellow. All to your satisfaction, I think you'll find."

The man's expression changed from irritation to shock with a bit of fear, as if he realized he'd done something terrible. He glanced at each of them in turn and then back to the Doctor.

"I am so sorry, Your Holiness," the man said, bowing. "I didn't realize."

The Doctor blessed him and Rose couldn't help giggling.

"No worries. You were just doing your job." He glanced at Rose and they shared a smile, then he eyed the man. "Sorry, what exactly is your job?"

"Checking for aliens." Rory startled and Rose had to stifle another laugh. "Visitors from foreign lands what might bring the plague with them."

"Oh, that's nice," Amy said, glancing at the Doctor in irritation. "See where you bring me? The plague."

Amy slapped his arm.

"Don't worry, Viscountess," the man said, giving Amy a bow. "No, we're under quarantine here. No one comes in, no one goes out, and all because of the grace and wisdom of our patron," He indicated the engraving on the book he was holding. "Signora Rosanna Calvierri."

"How interesting," the Doctor said, looking at the engraving. "I heard the plague died out years ago."

"Not out there," the man gestured beyond the city. "No, Signora Calvierri has seen it with her own eyes. Streets are piled high with bodies, she said."

"Did she now?" he asked.

Rory reached over and took the psychic paper from the man. The Doctor continued down the alley. Rose walked beside him, her hand still in his.

"I wonder why she lied," she said.

"Yes, why indeed," he replied.

Yep, there was definitely something going on. So much for Amy and Rory's wedding present. He led her over to a stone railing and they gazed out at the canal. Amy and Rory joined them. The girl glanced at both of them and laughed, making Rose laugh.

She caught sight of a group of women on the other side of the canal. They walked out of a metal gate, their faces veiled and carrying parasols. Were they that worried about getting a bit of sun? A man ran up to them. He started pulling their veils up, one at a time, calling a name…_Isabella. _

She glanced at the Doctor and noticed his startled, yet interested expression. She turned back to the scene. One of the women pushed the man down. He seemed surprised and then another man appeared. He put his foot on the first man's chest. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but the first man seemed very startled. She felt the Doctor give her hand a squeeze. She turned to him. He glanced at her and she could see they were about to find out exactly what was going on. They shared a smile and then they were running back the way they came.

**-0-**

Rose was standing in an alley with the Doctor. She wasn't entirely sure what they were waiting for and she was about to ask him when the man who had searched those veiled women entered the alley, walking toward them. The Doctor waited until the man passed and then stepped out behind him.

"Who are those girls?" he asked.

The man turned around, glancing from him to her and then back.

"I thought everyone knew about the Calvierri school."

"Our first day here. It's okay." He walked toward the man. "Parents do all sorts of things to get their children into good schools. They move house, they change religion. So, why are you trying to get her out?"

"Something happens in there. Something magical, something evil. My own daughter didn't recognize me. And the girl who pushed me away, her face, like an animal."

So, they had his daughter. He'd left her with them to give her a chance at a better life, but then he found out something was going on at that school, something that made him fear for his daughter's safety. Well, if there's one thing she knew, the Doctor wasn't going to stand by and let that happen, and neither was she.

He said the girl who pushed him down, her face looked like an animal. What did that mean? She glanced at the Doctor who caught her gaze, giving her a smile. She grinned back.

"I think it's time we met this Signora Calvierri."

He wrapped his arm around the man's neck, taking Rose's hand in his free one and they walked out of the alley together. She could tell he was formulating a plan, a plan that would get them inside so they could find out exactly what was going on.

**-0-**

She was right about the plan. The man, whose name was Guido, distracted the guards at the front of the building while the Doctor led her around the side to unlock a metal gate with his sonic. The gate clicked open and he took her hand as they slipped inside.

She followed him through a door and down a winding stone stairway. They came out in a small, circular room lined with doors. She gazed around the room.

"Where are we?" she whispered, wanting to keep her voice down so they weren't overheard.

"Not sure," he replied and then caught sight of a mirror. He gave his image a smile. "Hello, handsome."

She slapped his arm, playfully, as he stepped closer to the mirror.

"Bit full of yourself, aren't you?" she teased.

"Who are you?" voices asked from behind.

She turned around. The veiled girls stood behind them, only they weren't wearing their veils. Five of them, wearing long, white sleeping gowns. Wait…but…She glanced in the mirror at the same time the Doctor did and then back to the girls. They didn't have reflections. According to the mirror there wasn't anyone behind them, but they were there. No reflections, but…they couldn't be…could they?

The Doctor seemed a bit slower to believe what he was seeing…or what he wasn't seeing. He kept glancing at the girls and then the mirror and then the girls and so on.

"But…" he stammered. "But…you…but…How are you doing that? I am loving it. You're like Houdini, only five slightly scary girls, and he was shorter." She laughed. "Will be shorter. I'm rambling, aren't I?" he asked, glancing at Rose.

"Yeah, just a bit," she said, laughing.

"I'll ask you again, signor, signora. Who are you?" the girls asked, which was a bit creepy since they all spoke at the same time.

"Why don't you check this out?" he asked, pulling out his psychic paper and then showing them.

The girls started at the paper, blankly. He pulled it back, looking at the paper. His eyes widened.

"Oh, well that's…" He glanced at Rose. "Why's it say…" Then back to the paper. "That's just…"

"What? What's it say?" she asked, trying to get a look at it, but he closed it before she could.

"Nothing." He quickly stuffed it back into his pocket. Now she really did want to know what it said. "Pale, creepy girls who don't like sunlight and can't be seen." He glanced in the mirror again and then smiled. "Ha!" He caught Rose's gaze. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

She could hear the excitement in his voice.

"I'm definitely thinking what you're thinking," she agreed, grinning.

"But the city," he said, eyeing the girls. "Why shut down the city? Unless…"

"Leave now, signor, signora, or we shall call for the Steward, if you are lucky."

"Ooo," he said, and she didn't not at all like the way he said that. She slapped his chest. "What?" he exclaimed, eyeing her and then he seemed to realize why she wasn't very happy with him. "Oh. Right. Sorry." The girls bared their teeth…no, fangs, lots of them. He took her hand. They hissed. The Doctor pulled her over to the stairs, but paused, turning around. "Tell me the whole plan."

The girls hissed.

"Seriously, Doctor?" she asked, laughing.

"One day that will work." She started up the stairs with him as the girls slowly advanced on them. "Listen, we would love to stay here. This whole thing. I'm thrilled. We're thrilled, aren't we Rose?"

He glanced at her, grinning.

"Really thrilled. Absolutely thrilled." The girls hissed again. "But more thrilled when we're out. Doctor," she said, giving his hand a tug.

"Right. Yes. Oh, this is Christmas," he exclaimed and then turned and they both raced up the stairs.

They raced through the door and out the gate, laughing. Then back to where they left Amy and Rory. The girl was running toward them.

"Doctor! Rose!" Amy yelled.

They ran up to each other.

"We just met some vampires," Rose exclaimed.

"We just saw a vampire," Amy shouted, excitedly.

"We went to their house," the Doctor exclaimed.

"Wait till you see it," Amy said.

"And creepy girls and everything," he continued.

"Vampires," Amy said.

"Vampires," Rose agreed, laughing, which made the girl laugh.

"In Venice," he said, excitedly.

Rory ran up to them, out of breath and a bit spooked.

"We think we just saw a vampire," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know. Amy was just telling us," the Doctor dismissed.

"Yeah, Rose and the Doctor actually went to their house," Amy said, still laughing as she put her arm around the Doctor's neck.

"Oh. Right. Well," Rory said, a bit let down.

"Okay. So," He slapped Rory's cheeks, lightly, after Amy released him and stepped away. "…first we need to get back in there somehow."

"What?" Rory asked in surprised disbelief.

"How do we do that?" Amy asked.

"Shouldn't be too difficult," Rose said.

"Back in where?" Rory inquired, though by the sound of his voice she was fairly sure he knew exactly where.

"Come and meet our new friend," the Doctor said, taking Rose's hand and running down the street with her.

**-0-**

They sat around inside Guido's house, trying to figure out how to get back inside the House of Calvierri. Guido laid a vellum map of Venice out on the table. Rose looked it over, leaning on the table between Amy and the Doctor.

"As you saw, there's no clear way in. The House of Calvierri is like a fortress. But," Guido pointed to the tunnel and then ran the length with his finger, "there's a tunnel underneath it, with a ladder and shaft that leads up into the house. I tried to get in once myself, but I hit a trapdoor."

"You need someone on the inside," Amy said.

That was a good idea, a very good idea. Someone who could open that trapdoor and let everyone else in.

"No," the Doctor insisted without taking his eyes off the map.

She glanced at him. No? What did he mean, no?

"You don't even know what I was going to say," Amy protested.

"Uh, that we pretend you're an applicant for the school to get you inside, and tonight you come down and open the trapdoor to let us in."

It was a good plan. Probably their best option. Why was he arguing with it? Okay, it was dangerous, but it was the best idea, actually, the only idea anyone had come up with so far.

"Oh. So you do know what I was going to say."

"Are you insane?" Rory asked.

"Actually, it's a really good idea," Rose said.

"Thank you," Amy said, smiling. She eyed the Doctor. "See? Rose agrees with me."

It was a good idea, but dangerous. Too dangerous for Amy to do on her own.

"But Rory and the Doctor are right. It's dangerous."

"We don't have another option."

"He said no, Amy. Listen to him," Rory insisted.

"I could go," Rose said.

"No," the Doctor insisted.

No? What was he doing? He knew this was their only way in.

"Why's it dangerous for me and not you?" Amy protested.

It was dangerous for both of them, but she had more experience in these situations, plus she'd worked for Torchwood for two years. Amy didn't have any of that.

"I didn't say it wasn't dangerous for me," Rose replied.

"Neither one of you should go in there," Rory insisted.

"It's not like it'd be the first time I've done something like this."

"They've already seen you. It'd be safer if I went," Amy said.

"They're vampires, Amy. There is no _safer_," Rory protested.

"There is another option." Guido pointed at the collection of barrels behind Rory. One of which he was sitting on. "I work at the Arsenal." The Doctor walked over to the barrels, sniffing them. Rose laughed. "We build the warships for the navy."

"Gunpowder." The Doctor turned around, leaning on Rory's shoulder. "Most people just nick stationery from where they work." He crossed the room toward them as Rory scooted away from the gunpowder and then stood up, crossing the room to join them. "Look, I have a thing about guns and huge quantities of explosive."

Guido slammed his fists into the table, angrily.

"What do you suggest, then?" The man turned around, grabbing the fireplace shovel to stoke the fire. "We wait until they turn her into an animal?"

"I'll be there three, four hours, tops," Amy suggested.

The Doctor looked at her, almost smiling and then turned around.

"No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," he insisted. "It can't keep happening like this. This is how they go." He sat down rubbing his face and Rose could tell he really didn't want Amy to do it, but it was their only option. "But I have to know." He sat up. "We go together, say you're my daughter."

He leaned back. Rose sat down next to him.

"What? Don't listen to him," Rory insisted, crossing the room toward Amy.

"Your daughter? You look about nine," Amy said, making Rose laugh.

The Doctor eyed her and then looked at the girl.

"Brother, then," he said.

"Too weird and besides they've already seen you too," Amy said and then turned to Rory. "You should do it."

"Me?" Rory asked.

"Yeah. You can be my brother."

Amy rubbed the top of Rory's head affectionately.

"Why is him being your brother weird, but with me it's okay?"

"Actually, I thought he was your brother," Guido said, indicating Rory.

"Yeah, that's not helping," the Doctor said.

"Uh, this whole thing is mental," Rory exclaimed. "They're vampires, for God's sake."

"We hope," he said.

Hang on. What did he mean by that?

"So if they're not vampires?" Rose asked.

He turned to her, catching her gaze.

"Makes you wonder what could be so bad it doesn't actually mind us thinking it's a vampire."

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	32. The Vampires of Venice Part 2

Amy was inside the school. Something Rory wasn't at all happy about, but then the Doctor wasn't entirely happy with the idea himself. He knew how dangerous it was, but it was their only option. Well, without blasting their way in and that could very well get other people hurt and he couldn't chance that.

Guido got them to the tunnel entrance and handed him a lit torch. He stepped through the gates and paused at the bottom of a set of stone stairs. He glanced at Rory and then caught Rose's gaze.

"Right. Okay, I'll go first. If anything happens to me, go back," he insisted.

"Yeah, because that's going to happen," Rose said, smiling.

He didn't return her smile. Instead, he leaned close and eyed her. This was dangerous and she was doing that thing where she didn't want to listen because she wouldn't leave him behind, wouldn't leave him on his own.

"Rose, we're headed into tunnels, dark tunnels and there are vampires."

"You said they're not vampires," she pointed out.

Of course she'd have to point that out.

"Yeah, which makes them even more dangerous because they don't mind us thinking their vampires."

"Doctor," she said, taking his hand. "We've fought werewolves together, remember?"

"Hang on. Werewolves?" Rory asked, more than a bit worried.

Right. Werewolf. He forgot about that, well, didn't forget, just hadn't thought about it in a while. She was right. The werewolf had been dangerous, probably more dangerous than the vampires who weren't vampires.

"Okay, it was just one werewolf," she said, glancing at Rory, "but, come on, it was more dangerous than those girls down in that room."

If he got into trouble she was staying, not leaving, which was one of the reasons why he loved her and one of the reasons she drove him round the bend.

"Rose…I…" he pointed at her in frustration with his free hand. "…you drive me mad!"

"Come on then," she said, taking the first step up the stairs, giving his hand a tug. "The vampires are waiting."

She grinned and he finally returned it. He started up the stairs with her.

"You're both completely mental," Rory commented.

"Fine, but any sign of trouble-" the Doctor said, ignoring the man's comment.

"And we all run, Doctor, but not until we find Amy," she interrupted.

He opened the door and stepped into the tunnel, leading the way as Rose followed closely, her hand still in his. They continued down the tunnel a ways and that's when Rory decided to bring something up that he was hoping wouldn't be brought up ever again, especially in Rose's presence.

"So, Amy told me you lot met Queen Elizabeth the Tenth," he said.

"Liz Ten, yeah," Rose said.

"Have you and the Doctor met a lot of royalty, then?"

"We met Queen Victoria. She's the one we saved from the werewolf."

He smiled at the memory. That wasn't long after his tenth regeneration. Back when it was just him and Rose and all of time and space. Before Canary Wharf and losing her.

"A werewolf was after Queen Victoria?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, he wanted to bite her and turn her into what he was, take her over like," she said.

"And you two saved her?"

"Yep."

"Knighted and exiled in the same day," the Doctor said, glancing at Rose and sharing a smile with her. "I've met quite a few kings and queens actually. King Henry the Twelfth, had tea and scones with Elizabeth the Second-"

"Hang on, that reminds me," Rose cut in. "We never did finish talking about that whole business with Elizabeth the First."

For a moment, just a moment, he froze, complete and utter shock coursing through him.

"Now? You want to do this now?" he asked, glancing at her and then continuing down the tunnel.

He would prefer to never have this discussion. Never ever, but they were walking down a dark tunnel, there were vampires on the loose, and Amy was trapped in that school. Now was really not the time. At least, that's what he told himself.

"Now's as good a time as any," she said.

He glared at Rory. This was his fault. Why'd he have to bring up Liz Ten? He turned his gaze on Rose. She looked, really not happy.

"What does it matter? I already told you it was a while ago."

"A while? I thought you said a long time."

Uh…really not good. Why did he have such a hard time lying to her?

"Oh, did I?" he asked, all innocent like. "Um…well, a while, a long time, it's all very timey wimey."

"Oh, don't give me that, Doctor. Was it before or after Bad Wolf Bay?"

"Which time?"

"Sorry…what?" she snapped.

Extremely, really not good. He glanced at her and realized she had the same look Jackie got right before she slapped him. He hurried forward.

"Doctor," she yelled, catching up. "Don't you run off."

"I'm not running off. I'm just trying to get to Amy. She's still at the school, remember?"

"This isn't about Amy," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a stop. "This is about you!"

"Actually, it's a little about Amy," Rory said.

Why was she making him out to be some culprit in this? It was after he left her, after he walked away. He'd been upset and lonely and he knew he was going to die soon and…Hang on. It wasn't as if she was completely innocent either.

"What happened with Liz One happened a while ago and besides don't act all innocent like," he snapped.

"Sorry?" she asked, surprised, but, yes, still angry.

He eyed her.

"What about all those pretty boys you brought along?" he accused.

"What're you talking about?"

"Oh, I don't know, Adam for instance?"

"Nothing happened with him."

"How am I supposed to know that? And every time I took you to visit your mum you spent all that time with Ricky. You even brought him along."

"You know his name's Mickey and you knew he was my boyfriend before I decided to come along with you the first time."

"Boyfriend?" Rory asked.

"And then there's Jack." He turned around and continued down the tunnel.

"Jack? Who's Jack?" Rory asked.

"We're friends, that's all. You know that," she said.

He stopped and turned back to her.

"You kissed him," he accused.

"Kissed him? When?" she asked.

"Game station, remember?"

"We all thought we were going to die, and besides, he kissed me," she said.

"But you kissed him back, and hang on," the Doctor said, eyeing her. "I was going to ask you about him. About what you said on top of Churchill's bunker."

At that moment a gust of wind blew out the torch and they were enclosed in darkness. Instinctively, he reached for her, taking her arm and pulling her close.

"Can we go and see the vampires now, please?" Rory asked.

He might as well have been blind. Walking blindly through a tunnel with vampires who weren't vampires on the loose. This was really…Rose squeezed up next to him, putting her other hand on his arm. Good. This was good. Yes, really, extremely good. She wasn't yelling at him and maybe walking along in the dark for a bit she'd forget about that whole Virgin Queen nonsense.

"I can't see a thing," she said.

He moved his hand down her arm to take her hand in his, trying, unsuccessfully, not to think about how soft her skin was or that they were in the dark together or that…

"Just as well I brought this, then," Rory said and a moment later the tunnel was very slightly lit by a small penlight the man was holding.

"You're brilliant, Rory," Rose beamed, giving the man a smile, which grated on the Doctor's nerves.

He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a large ultraviolet light.

"Ultraviolet. Portable sunlight," he said.

"Yours is bigger than mine," Rory commented.

"Let's not go there."

He started the rest of the way down the tunnel holding the light out in front of him. It didn't take long for them to reach the trapdoor. He used Rory as a ladder and climbed up, opening the door and then he was out. He reached down and pulled Rose up first, then Rory. A few minutes later they were all standing in the courtyard.

"Amy," he whispered, loudly, shining the light around as he looked. "Where's Amy?"

"Amy," Rose called, in a whisper.

It wouldn't do to announce their presence.

Amy wasn't out there, which meant she was still inside, but she had to have been the one to unlock the trapdoor. Had she gone back in for something?

The Doctor noticed some trunks. He walked over to one of them and opened it. Oh. That was really not good. Corpses. Vampire, looking corpses, fangs and all. Rory yelled and a moment later Rose was crouching beside him.

"What happened to them?" she asked.

"They've had all the moisture taken out of them," he explained.

He felt one of the hands. Extremely, really not good.

"That's what vampires do, right?" Rory asked. "They drink your blood and replace it with their own."

"Yeah, except these people haven't just had their blood taken," he glanced from Rory to Rose and then back to the corpses, "but all the water in their entire bodies."

"But why're they dead? Shouldn't they be like the girls in the school?" Rose asked.

He caught her gaze.

"Maybe not everyone survives the process," he said.

He heard Rory turn around and glanced over in time to see him fling his arms up, exasperated. He turned back, examining the first corpse.

"You know what's dangerous about you?" Rory snapped. He gazed at the man. "It's not that you make people take risks, it's that you make them want to impress you." Impress him? What? "You make it so they don't want to let you down. You have no idea how dangerous you make people to themselves when you're around."

He looked down. Rory was right. Rose shot to her feet.

"Rory!" she yelled. "The Doctor-"

"Who are you?" the vampire girls asked.

He jumped up, turning around clutching the light in his hand as he backed up and then rushed over to Rose's side as one of the girls advanced on her. He shone the light in the girl's face. She put up her hands, protecting her eyes and hissed.

"We should run." He took Rose's hand and ran down the length of the line of girls, shining the torch in their eyes. "Run!"

He gripped Rose's hand tighter and headed to one of the doors, opening it and pulling her inside with Rory following. He ran down the stone corridor. They had to find Amy. Get her out before she was either turned into a vampire, who wasn't a vampire or died.

"Rory, come on," he called.

Rosanna, the one he assumed was her son, and her servant ran out of one of the rooms, blocking their escape. He drew to a halt, keeping Rose a bit behind him.

"Cab for Amy Pond?" he asked.

Rose laughed and he couldn't help smiling, but his smile vanished when he glanced back the way they came and noticed the girls closing the distance between them. They were trapped.

"This rescue plan. Not exactly watertight, is it?" Rosanna asked.

He charged the girls, brandishing his UV light.

"Ha!" he exclaimed.

Amy ran towards them from a side chamber with Isabella, Guido's daughter.

"Rory," she exclaimed, running up to him and taking his arms.

"Amy," Rory said, smiling.

"Quickly, through here," Isabella said, dashing down a side corridor.

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and ran after them as Rory and Amy followed the girl. She led them back the way they'd come in.

"They're not vampires," Amy said.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"They're not?" Rose inquired.

"I saw them. I saw her. They're not vampires, they're aliens."

"That's good news then," Rose said, laughing.

Amy laughed. He turned around and used his sonic to shut one of the doors they just came through.

"Classic," he exclaimed.

"That's good news? What is wrong with you people?" Rory yelled.

"Come on, Rory," he yelled as they ran down the tunnel. "Move." He turned around, shining the UV light at the aliens who weren't vampires. "Ha, ha!" He turned back and hurried after the others. "Keep moving. Come on, guys."

Isabella reached the door first, opening it and stepping aside, letting everyone else out first.

"Quickly, quickly. Get out. Quick. Quick," she called.

He rushed out behind Rose, but Isabella's yell made him turn around. "Come on," he insisted.

"I can't," she yelled.

She shrank back, as if something was hurting her. He glanced up at the sun. It was burning her skin. Rose seemed to get the same idea. She rushed toward the door to help the girl. The other girls grabbed Isabella and pulled her back inside, closing the door.

Rose banged on the door, trying to shove it open.

"Isabella," she yelled.

He rushed forward to help her, but then something happened. It was as if the door was suddenly charged with electricity. Rose turned around and slid down the stairs. Fear flooded through his hearts.

"Rose!" he yelled, running toward her and bending down.

"Is she dead?" Amy asked and he could hear fear in her voice, but at that moment Amy, Rory, the aliens who weren't vampires, all of it ceased to exist.

He pulled out his sonic and scanned her then looked at the reading. She was alive and aside from being unconscious, unhurt. That was…well, she ought to be dead. Would be dead if she was still merely human, but the Time Energy. It must have made her stronger. Made her like him, but not, but she was, in a way. What did that mean? She was stronger than a human, not as fragile, but did that mean anything else? Once he sorted those aliens, who were actually fish aliens, he'd seen them before. Once he sorted them he'd have to run some tests. Find out what was going on with her. How different she really was.

"Doctor, we can't stay here," Amy said.

Yes. Right. They had to get out of there first, then they could sort the fish vampires. He pocketed his sonic and slid his hands under her, cradling her as he lifted her from the steps. Then he carried her over to the gondola and climbed in.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	33. The Vampires of Venice Part 3

The Doctor sat on Rosanna's throne waiting for her. He left Rose back at Guido's cottage because she was still unconscious. He could've woke her, but he knew she'd insist on coming with him and after that scare…well, scare for him since she wasn't awake, he didn't want to chance something else happening until he ran those tests.

So, he waited for the space fish on his own. Not a vampire, none of them were vampires. At least not true vampires. He'd known that the moment he looked at those corpses. He'd encountered vampires before, both the parasitic mutations and the species they descended from…the Great Vampires. They were far more deadly than these space fish. Rosanna entered the room, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Long way from Saturnyne, aren't you, Sister of the Water?" he asked, glancing at her.

"No, let me guess. The owner of the psychic paper." He gave her a shrug. "Then I take it you're a refugee, like me?"

He sat back in the throne. She wanted answers, but so did he.

"I'll make you a deal. An answer for an answer." She gave him a smile and a nod then she began to pace, slowly. "You're using a perception filter. It doesn't change your features, but manipulates the brainwaves of the person looking at you. But seeing one of you for the first time in, say, a mirror, the brain doesn't know what to fill the gap with, so leaves it blank. Ha," he smiled, looking away in a not at all happy way, because he wasn't. "Hence no reflection."

"You're question?" she asked.

"Why can we see your big teeth?"

She laughed.

"Self preservation overrides the mirage. The subconscious perceives the threat and tries to alert the conscious brain."

Right. That made sense. Now to the reason he was there.

"Where's Isabella?" he asked.

"My turn." She pointed at herself and he nodded. "Where are you from?"

"Gallifrey."

"You should be in a museum." He chuckled, humorlessly. "Or in a mausoleum."

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"We ran from the Silence," she replied. Wait. Silence? Is that the same silence Prisoner Zero and the Daleks spoke of? "Why are you here?"

"Wedding present. The Silence?"

"There were cracks. Some were tiny. Some were as big as the sky. Through some we saw worlds and people, and through others we saw Silence and the end of all things. We fled to an ocean like ours, and the crack snapped shut behind us. Saturnyne was lost."

The end of all things? What did she mean? The end. The end of time? The end of everything? _Time can be unwritten. _That was…he pushed those thoughts aside. Now was this. Here.

Saturnyne was lost so what was she planning? To remake Saturnyne on Earth?

"So, Earth is to become Saturnyne Mark Two?" he asked.

Her eyes snapped to his. Yes, that was her plan. He could see it in her eyes.

"And you can help me," she suggested. That was definitely not going to happen. "We can build a new society here, as others have. What do you say?"

There were so many things wrong with that. First and foremost was the fact that she almost caused Rose's death and that, to him, was unforgivable. He stood up and crossed the room toward her, eyeing her.

"Where's Isabella?" he asked, stepping around her.

"Isabella?" she inquired.

He turned around, gazing at her. She had no idea who he was talking about. Rosanna took those girls, turned them into creatures like herself to repopulate Earth with her kind, but she didn't care about them. Didn't even know their names. Anger burned through him. She used what she wanted and threw away what didn't matter. At least, what didn't matter to her.

"The girl who saved my friend," he said.

She thought for a few moments and then seemed to realize who he was talking about.

"Oh, deserters must be executed." Executed? So, she killed Isabella for helping Amy escape. "Any general will tell you that. I need an answer, Doctor. A partnership. Any which way you choose."

He stepped closer to her, catching her gaze.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. You see I'm already with someone and she tends to get a bit…jealous." He stared at her for a moment. "Besides, I'm a Time Lord. You're a big fish. Think of the children."

"Carlo? You're right. We're nothing alike. I will bend the heavens to save my race, while you philosophize."

The door opened and Carlo entered, walking toward him.

"This ends today," he insisted, eyeing her warningly. He would stop her, one way or the other. "I will tear down the House of Calvierri, stone by stone." Carlo grabbed his jacket. "Take your hands off me," he glanced at the man, "Carlo." He turned and walked toward the door. Carlo followed. Before he reached it he turned around. "And you know why? You didn't know Isabella's name." Carlo opened the door, but he continued to eye Rosanna. "You didn't know Isabella's name."

He turned and followed Carlo out the door and down the steps.

"Open the gates," Carlo ordered.

A guard opened the gates and the Doctor stepped out and walked away, back toward Guido's house. He needed to figure out exactly what she was going to do and then stop her before she succeeded.

**-0-**

The Doctor used his sonic to heal the puncture wounds in Amy's neck. He glanced at the readings.

"You're fine." He closed his sonic and slid it back into his pocket, then pulled out a humbug. "Open wide." Amy opened her mouth and he set the candy on her tongue. "Mmm."

She closed her mouth.

"Mmm," she said.

Rose laughed. He caught her eye, smiling. She was awake and all right. He'd checked her with his sonic when he returned and found her sitting up. Then, of course, she yelled at him for meeting with Rosanna on his own, but she was unharmed and after his scare, well, even angry Rose made him smile, which only aggravated her more.

He needed to work out what that fish woman was up to so he could stop her. Only he had no idea what she was doing. He knew what her plan was, but not how she was going to pull it off. He growled in frustration.

"I need to think," he said. "Come on, brain. Think, think, think." He sat down at the head of the table, with Amy on one side and Rory on the other. "Think."

Rose walked up beside him, resting her hand on his shoulder. He glanced at her, grateful that she was there. Grateful that she was all right.

"If they're fish people, it explains why they hate the sun," Amy said.

He reached out and put his hand over her mouth.

"Stop talking. Brain thinking. Hush," he insisted.

"It's the school thing I don't understand," Rory said.

He put his other hand over Rory's mouth.

"Stop talking. Brain thinking. Hush."

"I say we take the fight to them," Guido insisted.

The Doctor eyed him.

"Ah, ah, ah."

"What?"

"Ah," the Doctor eyed Rory and nodded at Guido.

Rory put his hand over Guido's mouth.

Rose giggled. He glanced at her. He didn't have any more hands, but she was all right. He gave her a quick smile. Then turned his attention back to thinking.

"Ah. Her planet dies, so they flee through a crack in space and time and end up here. Then she closes off the city and, one by one, starts changing the people into creatures like her to start a new gene pool. Got it. But then what? They come from the sea. They can't survive forever on land, so what's she going to do?"

"You said Venice has flooded before. Maybe she's waiting for that to happen again, yeah?" Rose asked.

"Oh!" And that's another reason why he loved her. She always knew exactly what to say. He gazed at her smiling. She'd always been clever. He took his hands off Rory and Amy's mouths then set his hand on Rose's. She grinned. "She's going to sink Venice."

"She's going to sink Venice?" Guido asked in disbelief.

He glanced at the man.

"And repopulate it with the girls she's transformed," he replied.

"You can't repopulate somewhere with just women," Rory protested.

"Yeah, you need blokes," Rose agreed.

"She's got blokes," Amy said, as if she just remembered something.

"Where?" he asked, eyeing her.

"In the canal. She said to me there are ten thousand husbands waiting in the water."

"Only the male offspring survived the journey here. She's got ten thousand children swimming around the canals, waiting for mum to make them some compatible girlfriends." He glanced at Rose and they both made a disgusted noise. "I mean, I've been around a bit, but really that's, that's…eww." A loud thump from upstairs drew his attention. He glanced at Guido. "The people upstairs are very noisy."

"There aren't any people upstairs," the man replied.

He glanced at Rose. She was still looking at the ceiling.

"Do you know, I knew he was going to say that." She glanced at him. "Did you know he was going to say that?"

"About what I was thinking, yeah," she said, grinning.

"Is it the vampires?" Rory whispered.

"Like I said, they're not vampires." He picked up his ultraviolet light. "Fish from space."

A loud noise to his left drew his attention. One of the fish girls stepped into the room through a doorway. He jumped up, stepping in front of Rose, holding out the light. Then the window across from them exploded as another fish girl tried to climb through. Movement to his right made him turn his head. Three fish girls were outside that window as well. They were surrounded.

"Aren't we on the second floor?" Rory asked.

One of the fish girls broke the window as she reached inside. He ran over to the window, brandishing the light. The girls hissed, drawing back a bit, but not retreating. His pulled his sonic and pushed the button interrupting the perception filters they were using. The girls vanished and only the space fish remained.

"Doctor, what's happened to them?" Rose asked.

"There's nothing left of them. They've been fully converted. Blimey, fish from space have never been so buxom."

"Doctor," Rose snapped.

He glanced at her. Um…really not good.

"Right. Sorry. Um…anyway. Move!"

He grabbed Rose's hand and Rory grabbed Amy's.

"Come on," Rory said, running toward the stairs.

Rory raced down with Amy and the Doctor followed, pulling Rose behind, but Guido stopped halfway down.

"Give me the lamp," the man ordered.

The Doctor handed his light over. Then he continued down the stairs and across the front room. Amy opened the door and dashed outside with Rory following.

"Go, go, go," he called. "Keep moving. Go, go, go."

He reached the door and pulled Rose out with him, dashing across the yard.

"Where's Guido?" Rose asked as they reached the alley.

He turned around the man stood in the doorway with the light. What the hell was he doing?

"Stay away from the door, Doctor," the man called and then stepped back inside, closing the door behind.

He raced back to the door.

"No. Guido, what are you doing?" He banged on the door. "I'm not leaving you. What are you doing?"

Rose was beside him in the next moment.

"What's he doing?" she asked.

"I don't know." He pulled his sonic and tried to use it on the door, but it was rubbish with wood. He growled. "Bolted!"

"Doctor," Rose said, a bit worried.

He stepped back, gazing at the upstairs windows.

"Guido!" he yelled.

"Come on, come on," Guido called, sounding a bit muffled through the wall.

"Doctor, he's got gunpowder in there," Rose said, coming to the same conclusion at the same time he did.

He grabbed her hand and ran, back towards the ally. An explosion erupted inside the cottage, blowing bits of stone off the outside, knocking down the door, and causing both Rose and the Doctor to fly forward. He landed on the ground. He glanced at her as she started to sit up.

"Are you all right?" he asked in concern, sitting up and pulling his sonic.

"Yeah, fine," she said, sitting on her knees and grinning.

He scanned her anyway and checked the reading. Completely unharmed. Good thing she wasn't as fragile as she had been before.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I'm always all right," he replied.

Then he stood up and walked back to the ruined cottage. None of them could've survived that. Guido gave his life to save them. That's what they did, what they always did. The sky began to darken, drawing his attention.

"Rosanna's initiating the final phase," he said, darkly.

Guido was dead. He couldn't save the man, but he could keep the others from dying.

"We need to stop her," Amy insisted. "Come on."

"She's right," Rose said, taking his hand, but he shrugged her off.

"No, no, no. Get back to the TARDIS, all of you."

"You can't stop her on your own," Amy protested.

"We don't discuss this," he snapped, rounding on her as he closed the distance between them. He had to make her listen. "I tell you to do something, Amy, and you do it!" She opened her mouth as if she was going to protest. He leaned toward her as if daring her to argue with him. "Huh?"

She turned around and ran down the alley. He watched her, knowing she was upset and he was the cause, but at least she'd be safe.

"Thank you," Rory said and then turned and followed after Amy.

"You're welcome," he muttered and then turned around, catching sight of Rose.

He told them all to go back to the TARDIS and there she was not listening to him again. He eyed her.

"I said get back to the TARDIS," he insisted, not yelling, but a bit demanding.

"I heard you, yeah?" she replied.

That was it! She almost died earlier and then with the explosion, he wouldn't let her die for him like Guido did. He couldn't let that happen.

"Rose!" he yelled, closing the distance between them.

She folded her arms, glaring at him.

"Don't even think about playing that _when I say something you do it _card with me," she shot back.

"This is not a discussion!"

"Good, because we're wasting time," she snapped, turning to run towards the Calvierri School, but he grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Rose," he growled. "You almost died. I-" his voice broke, the anger that was covering his fear of losing her slipped, just a bit. "I almost lost you today."

"But you didn't, yeah?" she said, brushing her hand against his cheek. He leaned into her touch. "I'm here. Right here and I'm not going anywhere."

He cupped her cheeks and leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. She was mad and impossible and he loved her, more than he ever loved anyone. He knew no matter what he said she was coming with him because she loved him just as much as he loved her.

"All right then," he said, taking her hand. "We save Venice, together."

"Together," she agreed and he shared a smile with her before dashing down the streets to the Calvierri School.

The guards were gone. They ran through the gates, in the door, and across the throne room. He opened the back of the throne, pulling out his sonic.

"You're too late," Rosanna said, making him turn around. "Such determination, just to save one city." He pocketed his sonic, giving Rose a warning glance, hoping she'd take the hint and stay put. He crossed the room to stand in front of the woman. "Hard to believe it's the same man that let an entire race turn to cinders and ash. Now you can watch as my people take their new kingdom."

"The girls are gone, Rosanna," he replied.

She stepped back in disbelief.

"You're lying."

"Shouldn't we be dead, hmm?" The woman walked away, crossing the room to the door. "Rosanna, please, help us. There are two hundred thousand people in this city."

"So save them," she dismissed as she stepped out the door.

He watched her. Anger burned through his hearts. She was going to let everyone die because she hadn't gotten what she wanted.

"Doctor," Rose called. "The throne, it's making noise."

He turned around. It was active. He raced across the room, reaching it as thunder boomed overhead.

"Come along," he said, taking Rose's hand and running across the room.

They made it halfway before he slid to a halt as Amy and Rory ran through the door. What the hell were they doing there? He told them to go back to the TARDIS. Did no one listen to him?

"Get out!" he yelled. "I need to stabilize the storm."

"We're not leaving you," Rory insisted.

He stopped and turned around. Sorry…what? He eyed Rory, crossing the room toward him.

"Right, so one minute it's all you make people a danger to themselves, and the next it's we're not leaving you. But if one of you gets squashed or blown up or eaten, who gets the-"

The ground shook, throwing him and Rose to the floor. Rubble fell from the ceiling. Amy and Rose yelled. Rose! He looked around the room. She was about a foot from him. The shaking stopped and he stood up, hurrying over to help her up.

"What was that?" Rory asked, pointing at the ceiling.

"Nothing." He replied. "Bit of an earthquake." He caught Rose's gaze. "You all right?"

"Yeah, fine," she said, and then wiped some dust from the ceiling off his shoulder, giving him a grin.

"An earthquake?" Amy exclaimed.

"Manipulate the elements, it can trigger earthquakes. But don't worry about them," he said.

"No?" Rory asked.

"No. Worry about the tidal waves caused by the earthquake." He walked toward them, clapping his hands together. "Right, Rosanna's throne is the control hub but she's locked the program, so, tear out every single wire and circuit in the throne. Go crazy. Hit it with a stick, anything. We need it to shut down and re-route control to the secondary hub, which I'm guessing will also be the generator."

He took Rose's hand and they crossed the room toward the door.

"Right," Amy called. "And what're you two going to do?"

"We're going to shut down the generator," he called as they headed toward the tower.

**-0-**

The moment they entered the bell tower he knew he was right. Hoses and wires ran up to the top. He gave Rose's hand a squeeze as he led her up the stone stairs. One of the bells was ringing, making both of them yell and cover their ears. The higher they climbed the louder it got. When they finally reached the top he jumped up and grabbed the rope attached to the center.

"Shut up. Shut up," he yelled. The bell stopped ringing. He released the rope and hopped down. "That's better."

Rose laughed as he straightened his suit. He gave her a smile.

"Now for the tricky part," he said, climbing up on the ledge.

"Doctor, what're you doing?" she asked in concern.

He grabbed one of the columns, swinging around so he was outside instead of inside. He tried to climb up a bit and then slipped.

"Doctor!" she yelled, hurrying over to the edge.

"Oh. Okay." Although it was anything, but okay. "It's fine. I'm all right."

"What are you doing?"

"Have to get to the generator."

He grabbed the hose and wires and began climbing up to the roof.

"Doctor," she called, "Be careful."

That was easier said than done. He pulled himself up, stepping carefully, not wanting to slip on the wet roof. Just a few more feet and then he was there at the large metal sphere. He opened the top, gazing at the gears as they turned inside the sphere. There had to be a switch somewhere. He glanced from one gear to the next. Come on, come on, come on. There! He flipped the switch and all the gears ground to a halt. A moment later the sky cleared and the sun came out. He smiled, sighing in relief.

"Doctor, you did it!"Rose shouted.

He couldn't see her from where he was, but he heard her. The people gathered around the tower and began to clap and cheer. He smiled, waving. Amy and Rory were below, cheering along with everyone else.

He made his way back into the tower. The moment he was back inside Rose launched herself into his arms. "You did it," she exclaimed. He pulled her close, smiling into her blonde hair because he was happy. So very, very happy. Venice was saved, Amy and Rory were all right and his arms were wrapped around the woman he loved.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	34. The Vampires of Venice - Afterward

Rose was in bed, actually sleeping this time. He checked…well, he had Amy check. Just in case. He took the opportunity to drop Amy and Rory off for a pre-honeymoon, since the first one didn't exactly turn out the way he planned. He dropped them in the present this time. In Paris. He ran a scan with the TARDIS first, just to make sure there wasn't any funny business going on.

He needed time alone with Rose to run those tests. Something between him and Rose for now. If she chose to share what was going on with her then that was fine, but he wasn't about to divulge the information to anyone else.

He was just starting up the Time Rotor when a surge of memories hit him like a wave. He grabbed onto the console, doubling over with the force of it. New memories of a different time line. The same time line as the library memories. What originally happened before he saved Rose and brought her with him.

First came the Star Whale. Just him and Amy this time. Things played out pretty much the same. The creature was spared and freed thanks to Amy, same way it happened with Rose there, but Liz Ten only knew him. There was no mention of Rose or that incident with the statue.

Next, Churchill's Bunker and the Daleks. It took him a bit longer to sort out what was going on without her presence, not much, just a bit. He faced the Daleks aboard that ship on his own, and again, no mention of Rose or the Silence. No prophesy. He still saved Earth and the Daleks still got away.

Then came the Angels and River. River who wasn't Rose's best friend, but was the woman who knew his name, which could only mean one thing. He shivered, involuntarily at the thought. She flew the TARDIS, not Rose and Amy asked…another repulsed shiver ran through him.

He figured out what was going on with the statues, but a bit slower without her, a bit more than with the Daleks. The Angel still climbed inside Amy and she had to come to him on her own because Rose wasn't there to stay with her. Again there was no mention of Rose and again things played out pretty much the same. So, her presence wasn't changing things, at least not beyond mentions of her, and now he knew why she was with him this time.

It was him. He decided to bring her back because he was changing. Something inside him broke when he left her behind, when he walked away and that wound festered, creating a darkness, a coldness, like a sliver of ice had wedged its way into his hearts. That's why he chanced changing things because he knew what that foretold, or, at least, he thought he knew. That wound was healing now, had been since he found her. It wasn't fully healed, but he was getting there. So, it was working, but at what cost? Not to him, but to her.

Had she always been in this universe or had his request brought her there? Tore her from her family, kept her imprisoned in that hospital, made her go through…he didn't even know because she'd blocked those memories. Had he done this to her in his own selfish need to have her with him, to bring back the woman he loved, to keep himself from changing, to chance a happy ending?

He was at the crossroad, he could wait…do nothing. It wouldn't even take twenty-four hours and everything would revert back. Rose would be wiped from his recent time line. Or he could go to the Ood, as he'd done, and request their help.

The thought that he was the cause of her suffering was almost unbearable. He slammed his fist into the console, angrily. A Gallifreyan curse escaping his lips and this time she didn't shock him for his outburst because she knew. Knew what he was suffering.

"Doctor," Rose asked, almost as if she wasn't sure if she should.

She was there, in the control room, next to him. She must have come in when the memories were catching up with him. His two time lines merging. He turned to her, focusing through the haze of unshed tears. He cupped her cheeks.

"Oh, Rose. I'm sorry," he said, resting his forehead against hers. "I'm so sorry."

"Doctor, what is it? What's wrong?" she asked, concerned and a bit afraid.

"I did this. This is my fault." He pulled back, gazing into her eyes. "I did this to you."

"What do you mean? What did you do?"

"I was changing, had been since I walked away, since I left you on that godforsaken beach. I knew what was happening, knew what I'd become, and I knew you could stop it. If anyone could, it would be you, but it wasn't just that. I was selfish. I wanted you back and damn the consequences, but I thought it would be the universe. I never for one moment considered it would be you. That you would suffer for my actions."

He knew he was ranting. Angry at himself for what he'd done. Angry at the universe for making her suffer. Angry at the Ood for their part in all this. He never, never once, wanted her to suffer for him, not for him. Never for him.

"Doctor," she said, resting her hand on his cheek.

Her touch brought him back. He gazed into her hazel eyes, her beautiful hazel eyes that weren't pained or haunted, but only looked back at him with love and concern and maybe a bit of fear, but not for herself, fear for him.

"Are you saying that you brought me here, back to this universe?" she asked.

"Yes, I…" his voice broke. He swallowed. "I did this to you."

She threw her arms around him and hugged him. Wait. Hugged him? Didn't she understand? This was his fault. All of it. He was the cause of her suffering. He grabbed her arms and pulled her back, gazing into her eyes.

"Rose, you don't understand," he insisted. "This is my fault. All of this."

"You mean the hospital and everything I went through?" she asked.

"Yes, exactly."

She laughed.

"I don't care about that."

"But that's only because you don't remember. When you do-"

"It doesn't matter what I went through, Doctor. There isn't anything that I wouldn't give to be here, right now, with you."

"But-"

"Oh, shut up," she ordered and then grabbed his lapels and for a second time since she took his hand in the basement of that department store Rose Tyler kissed him. His lips connected with the softness of hers. He closed his eyes, breathing in her scent as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. At that moment nothing else mattered, not the universe, or planets, or consequences. There was nothing in all of time and space except him and her. With her he finally felt whole. He felt…something in the dark. In that cold, dark, lonely place.

His eyes snapped open and he flailed for a moment, as his mind tried to pull his body under control. He grabbed her arms and pushed her back, not hard, but a bit away from him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned and a bit unsure.

Um…yes…wrong. He couldn't tell her why. At least not yet. Not until he knew what was going on with her. So, he decided to switch topics. If he couldn't lie he could avoid.

"We don't want to be late," he said, rushing over to the console and starting the Time Rotor.

"Late?" she asked, walking over to stand next to him.

"You wanted to stay, didn't you?" he asked, glancing at her.

She grinned and he couldn't help smiling.

"More than anything."

"Then there's someone we need to visit."

The TARDIS launched into the Time Vortex and they both grabbed onto the console, laughing.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	35. Jack

The Doctor walked through the snow, back to the TARDIS. Rose actually listened this time, staying put inside the TARDIS. Of course, he had to explain how dangerous it would be for her to accompany him. He couldn't chance anything going wrong. It was dangerous enough crossing his own time line twice, well, now that his time lines had merged it was really only once, but that was bad enough.

He mulled over what he found out from the Elder of the Ood. He asked, how could he not? Even after everything Rose said he'd still been afraid that he was the cause of her suffering. That his request put her where he found her, but that wasn't the case. She'd been there the whole time, or, maybe not exactly there, but she'd been in this universe. Taken through the crack before he sealed it.

The Elder didn't tell him much, probably because it was too dangerous. He'd shown the Doctor an image. Just one. Rose had been hooked up to machines, being used as an energy source, much like the Roboforms wanted to use him when they came for him on Christmas Eve after he regenerated into his tenth form.

It made sense. Since she carried the same Time Energy within her that was inside him, but there had been something…something different about her. He wasn't sure what it was and it made him want to run those tests all the more, but he knew he had to be careful. Her mind was still fragile and after seeing that image he knew he couldn't push her. He wasn't sure what she'd gone through before he found her, but whoever took her had kept her since taking her through that crack. How long had she been there? A day? A week? Years?

He didn't know. Had no idea what she suffered and pushing her, that could break her and that was something he wouldn't chance. The tests were important, but he'd start out slow. Scan her with the TARDIS. She didn't even need to know. The TARDIS was far more powerful than his sonic. She might pick up on something. Something that would tell him what was going on with Rose and what she was becoming, because she was changing. He'd already picked up on that.

Not a lot, just a bit, but that's how these things happened. Changes didn't happen all at once. Just a bit at a time, like the fish aliens. Would she still be herself, still be Rose, or would she become something else? Change more and more until there wasn't anything left?

That thought frightened him. He had to find out and if that was possible then stop it, if he could. He wouldn't lose her again and to have her there and lose her was more than he could take. More than he could survive.

He opened the door and stepped inside. She stood up from the jump seat, giving him a smile as he crossed the room toward her and he couldn't help grinning because she was there. Rose Tyler in the TARDIS with the Doctor, forever this time. Even if it was only her forever. He pushed that thought aside.

"Finished?" she asked.

"Yep," he replied, walking over to the console. "Now, where do you want to go?"

"What about Amy and Rory?"

"Time machine, remember? We can pick them up anytime. I want to take you wherever you want to go." He flipped a lever and then caught her eye. She was giving him that cheeky grin, which was really not good what with them being alone and all. "So," he turned his attention back to the console, "the past, the future, a new planet, where do you want to go?"

"Can we…" she trailed off and he glanced at her. "Can we visit someone?"

Visit…Oh. Was she going to ask her visit her mum? Not her mum on the parallel world. She knew how impossible that was, but her mum before everything happened. Before Canary Wharf and the Crucible. His hearts grew heavy as he realized he'd have to deny her request. That would be dangerous. Too dangerous.

"Rose," he began, prepared to break the news, although not prepared to watch her fall apart.

"It's just, I know I can't see my mum or Mickey, or anyone like that because it would be too much of a risk, bumping into past us or something like that," He smiled. She did know. Of course she knew. She was Rose and she'd always been clever. "But I haven't seen Jack since the Crucible and-"

A new emotion surged through him. One that made him want to strangle the immortal man, or punch him, or both. Yes, first punch him then strangle him.

"Jack? You want to visit Jack?" he asked, unable to keep a bit of disdain from creeping into his voice.

"Yeah, why?" she asked.

"All of time and space and you want to visit Jack."

Yes, he was a bit jealous, more than a bit, but he had every right to be. She was there with him in the TARDIS and she was thinking about Jack. It was…He felt her take his cheek. He turned to her, gazing into her eyes.

"Not like that. We're friends, that's all. I've told you that, yeah? I love you. You're my Doctor, but Jack's my friend. The only one I've got left from before and I miss that. I just want to see him, yeah?"

Jack was all she had of her old life. Before everything backfired and she lost her family. He cupped her cheeks, giving her a smile. If she wanted Jack then he'd give her Jack. Wait. He glanced at her. No, not give her Jack. Let her see him, visit him, as a friend, just a friend. He grabbed the lever to start the Time Rotor.

"To Torchwood then," he said, flipping the lever and giving her a smile. She grinned and then they laughed.

**-0-**

The TARDIS materialized and the Doctor raced over to the doors with Rose following. He reached for the handle, but was startled by knocking, coming from the other side of the door. Knocking? Who would be knocking on the TARDIS doors?

Slowly, he opened one of the doors and found Jack standing on the other side, grinning like a school boy at Christmas.

"D-" Jack paused. "Doc?"

"Doctor, and yes, it's me Jack, new face, that's-"

He was cut off by Jack stepping through the door and pulling him into a bear hug.

"Doc!" the man exclaimed. "Long time no see."

"Jack," he protested.

The man released him and looked him over.

"Hell of a change. Are you younger?" Jack asked, giving him a flirty grin.

"No, I am not younger, Jack," he snapped, straightening his suit.

"Rosie!" the man exclaimed, shoving past him and in the next moment Jack had picked Rose up in a hug that rivaled the one he'd given the Doctor.

"Jack!" she said, happily, throwing her arms around the man's neck.

He did not at all like the way they were hugging, but he kept his mouth shut…barely. Jack set her down and she laughed. Okay, she'd seen him. That's all she wanted, right? To see Jack. They could leave now, couldn't they?

"I thought he dropped you back on that parallel world, which," Jack eyed him, "by the way, Doc, was the worst idea you ever had."

"Actually, he did," Rose said.

"Then how did you get back? Oh." Jack glanced from her to the Doctor. "Did something happen? Is that why you're here?"

"No, nothing's happened. No threat to the universe," he replied, which wasn't entirely true, but Jack didn't need to know about the cracks.

"Then," the man looked at her, "how did you get back?"

They didn't need to get into all that, did they? He already felt bad enough that she'd been there and he hadn't known, wouldn't have known if he hadn't decided to selfishly alter his own time line.

Suddenly, the TARDIS door slammed shut. He spun around.

"What?" he exclaimed.

The Time Rotor began to move. What? No! What? He raced over to the console.

"No! No, no, no!" he yelled.

"What's happening, Doc?" Jack asked, running up next to him with Rose.

"I…I don't know."

He flipped levers and pushed buttons, trying to get her to stop, but nothing was working. It was almost as if…

"Doctor, where are we going?" Rose asked.

"I have no idea. Someone else is controlling the TARDIS." He stepped back, glancing from her to Jack. "I'm locked out of the controls."

That couldn't happen. Couldn't possibly…A bright light consumed the inside of the TARDIS.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	36. Rose's Choice Part 1

Rose mixed the batter for the cupcakes. Two dozen down, four to go. She hoped they'd smooth things over after the incident with the lawn mower. Why he thought it needed to be super-powered was beyond her, but he did things like that and she couldn't blame him for being who he was. That's why she loved him. Pain lanced through her sides and across her stomach. She sat the bowl down, grabbing the counter as she bent over.

"Doctor!" she yelled.

Where was he? She couldn't remember. Out back? Down the road? Upstairs? In town? Pain seared through her stomach again.

"Doctor! It's coming!" she screamed.

She took a breath and then another, slowly, the pain began to subside. At that moment she heard the door fly open and turned around in time to see him rush through the living room, stumble over the sofa, although she wasn't entirely sure how he managed that, jump to his feet and rush into the kitchen with his hands out.

"Okay, I'm ready," he exclaimed, crouching down on the floor holding his hands under her as if he was going to catch the baby.

She stood up, grabbing the bowl.

"Never mind. False alarm," she said.

"What?" he gasped.

"Well, I don't know what it feels like, do I? I've never had a baby before."

He stood up and she could tell that he was relieved, but not entirely happy either, probably because she scared the pants off him. She laughed. He eyed her, which only made her laugh harder.

"That's the fourth time this week," he snapped in irritation.

"Oh, shut up," she said, dipping her finger in the batter and giving him a taste.

"That's…" His eyes closed and he smiled, then he turned around and eyed the two dozen cupcakes. He reached for one, but she whacked his hand with the spoon.

"Don't even think about it."

He eyed her, rubbing the back of his hand.

"But-"

"I have to smooth things over at the school after what you did to their lawnmower."

He gave her a pouty face and her heart melted.

"Fine, but only one," she said.

A flash of light at the other end of the room drew her attention.

"Jack!" she exclaimed, shoving the bowl in the Doctor's hands and running…waddle running, she was nearly nine months gone…toward Jack, which gave her enough time to notice his mustache, not that she could miss it. She laughed, it was just so…not him.

"Rosie!" he exclaimed, opening his arms and then taking in the sight of her. "Look at you. You're as big as a…" she slapped his arm, "beautiful. You're beautiful!" She hugged him and he wrapped his arms around her gingerly. "Doc!" he greeted after releasing her.

"Jack," the Doctor said in a _not very happy _voice. "What are you doing here?"

She shot him a glare as they shook hands, but he kept his eyes averted. She'd been married to the Doctor for a year and she was carrying his child, but he still wasn't entirely happy with her and Jack spending time together, not that Jack came round very often.

"Got some time off and thought I'd pop in for a visit. It's been a while, lot longer than I thought from the look of things," Jack said, giving Rose a smile that she returned.

"Nice of you to visit. Off you pop then, wouldn't want to hold you up," the Doctor said.

"Doctor," Rose snapped. "Never mind him, Jack." She took her friend's arm and led him toward the door. "Why don't we go for a walk? You can tell me what you've been up to."

"That sounds nice," Jack agreed. "You coming too, Doc?"

"Yes, of course, I'm coming," he snapped.

She caught his eye.

"If you're coming then you best change your attitude."

He sighed.

"Fine, sorry, I mean. Sorry, Jack. Just had a bit of a scare before you showed up that's all."

"A scare?" Jack asked.

"She thought she'd gone into labor, for the fourth time this week."

Jack laughed.

"That would do it."

They headed out the door and down the lane.

"This is…nice," Jack said, looking around at the little shops and various cottages.

"It is nice, isn't it?" Rose asked, glancing around. "And it's safe and that's what we need right now."

"Very safe," the Doctor agreed. "I made sure of that before I bought the cottage."

"I never would've pictured either one of you and the word safe together," Jack teased. "But I must say it looks good on you, well, on Rosie at least."

She shared a smile with her friend and caught the _not at all happy _look on the Doctor's face. She knew he wasn't entirely content with the little village. It was safe, but it was also dull as hell, though she'd never come out and say that. He put up with it for her and for the baby. She put up with it for the baby and for him because she knew how much having a family met to him, what with losing everyone he ever cared about in the Time War, which included his own family.

They drew up to a bench and she decided to sit down for a bit. Walking was hard work at this stage, what with all that extra weight she was carrying around. Jack sat down on one side of her and the Doctor on the other.

"So, where is she?" Jack asked, glancing at the Doctor.

"She? She who?" he inquired.

Jack laughed.

"How long's it been since you two traveled anywhere?"

"Oh, the TARDIS. Right. She's parked in the backyard."

"In the flowerbed," Rose pointed out.

"How was I supposed to know you were going to plant flowers in that exact spot?" he asked.

"So, no traveling then?" Jack inquired.

"No, not for a while now. After we found out she was pregnant, well, I didn't want to chance something happening. I made a few trips with Amy and Rory, but the first time I was a week late and the second-"

"A month! I went an entire month without hearing anything from him," Rose snapped.

It was still a sore subject. She'd been three months gone at that point and the mere thought of something happening to him had nearly killed her. He was more than the Doctor, more than her husband. He was everything to her. Her world.

"Sore subject then. I'll stay away from that one," Jack said.

She could hear birds singing in the branches nearby. Her eyelids grew heavy. "Blimey, I think I wore myself out."

"Me too," the Doctor said, "My head's a bit. Ooo."

**-0-**

The Doctor opened his eyes. "What?" Floor. He was on the floor. In the TARDIS. "No, yes," he stood up, "sorry, what?" He glanced at the corridor as Rose and Jack stepped into the room. A very not pregnant Rose, which meant no dull little village, extremely, very dull little village, where he'd been stuck, well, not stuck, but, yes, stuck for an entire year. "Oh, you're okay." Relief flooded through him. "Oh, thank God. I had a terrible nightmare about you two." He walked over to the console, resting his hands on it as he bent over. A nightmare. Just a nightmare. No boring little village, no stuck. He sighed in relief. "That was scary." Rose walked toward him. "Don't ask." He stood up and crossed the room toward her. "You don't want to know." He pulled her into a hug. "You're safe now."

"Um…okay," she said, a bit confused.

He pulled back, catching her eye and giving her a smile. She grinned.

"That's what counts." He turned around. "Blimey. Never dropped off like that before. Well, never, really." He walked over to the console. "I'm getting on a bit, you see. Don't let the cool gear fool you." He noticed the red flashing lights. "Now, what's wrong with the console? Red flashing lights. I bet they mean something."

He crouched down, examining under the console.

"I had a dream too," Jack said.

"Yeah, me too," Rose agreed.

"Not like the Doc's. Not a nightmare, it was…well, you two were married."

He froze. Sorry? Married?

"In a little village, yeah?"

He shot to his feet, looking from Rose to Jack.

"And you were pregnant."

"Yeah, I was huge. Big as a house."

He slowly made his way around the console. The same nightmare. All three of them.

"So, you had the same dream? Exactly the same dream?" Jack asked.

"Are you calling me a house?" she teased.

He glanced at Jack's clothes, fingering his jacket and then glancing inside. There must be something. Something caused it.

"And I was visiting," Jack said.

He fingered Rose's pink jacket, pulling it open a bit, looking. No. Nothing.

"Yeah, you came to our cottage," she agreed.

"How can we have the same dream? It doesn't make any sense."

"And you had a nightmare about us." Rose said, catching the Doctor's gaze. "What happened to us in the nightmare?"

Nightmare? Um…that was…probably not his best choice. Would she think it was a nightmare? He looked into her eyes. He couldn't tell. Well, it wasn't entirely a nightmare. The whole family thing, that hadn't been a nightmare, entirely the opposite, well, except for that whole married bit. Marriage was…complicated, an entirely unnecessary complication. But…um…yes…nightmare.

"It was a bit similar, in some aspects," he said.

"Which aspects?" Jack asked.

"Well, all of them."

"You had the same dream," Rose said.

"Basically."

"You said it was a nightmare," she pointed out, narrowing her eyes.

That was extremely, really not good.

"Did I say nightmare? No, more of a really good…mare." He crossed the room toward the console to distance himself from the look she was giving him. "Look, it doesn't matter. We all had some kind of psychic episode. We probably jumped a time track or something. Forget it. We're back to reality now."

He flipped a lever as he walked around the console.

"Doctor? If we're back to reality, how come I can still hear birds?" she asked.

Birds? He froze. Yes, he could hear them too and his eyelid felt heavy.

"It sounds like the same ones we heard in the-" Jack began.

**-0-**

"Dream," Jack finished, making Rose open her eyes and she found herself staring directly into his eyes, their foreheads touching. "Oh! Sorry, Rosie." He sat up. "I must be overdoing it at Torchwood. I was dreaming we were all on the TARDIS." Hang on. What? She eyed him and he seemed to catch the look she was giving him. "You had the same dream, didn't you?"

"Weren't we just saying that?" she asked.

"But we thought this was the dream," Jack said.

"I think so," she said, standing up, and a moment later the Doctor was there, helping her. "Why do dreams have to fade so quickly?"

Once she was on her feet he pulled her into a hug, but it wasn't just a hug. He was holding her as if he thought he was going to lose her. She could feel it. His fear and it unsettled her.

"What's going on, Doc?" Jack asked, as if he too could sense something was wrong with him.

He pulled back and she could see unshed tears in the corners of his eyes. Fear lanced through her heart. He caught her gaze as Jack drew closer.

"Listen to me," he said. "Trust nothing. From now on, trust nothing you see, hear, or feel."

What the hell did he mean by that? He had that whole, something is extremely really not good, look about him.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She had a sudden thought. "Is this because of the baby? Is this some weird Time Lord baby thing that you just forgot to mention?"

"Whatever's going on is far worse than anything like that."

"It doesn't matter now. We're awake," Jack insisted.

"Yeah," he said, glancing at Jack as he took Rose's hand. "And we thought we were awake on the TARDIS, too."

"But we're home," she said.

He caught her gaze.

"Yeah, we're home and I want to believe that." He glanced at her stomach and then back to her. "I want to believe that more than anything, but we're also dreaming. Trouble is, which is which? Are we flashing forwards or backwards?"

**-0-**

The Doctor opened his eyes and sat up. TARDIS and she was shaking. He jumped to his feet and crossed to the console.

"Oh, this is bad," he said as he tried to flip a lever, but it was stuck. Anger laced with fear burned through him. "I don't like this." He kicked the console, pain seared up his leg. He growled as he grabbed his knee and limped around the room and over to the rail. "Never use force. You just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case, always use force."

Rose laughed. He was cross and she was laughing. Not exactly a good combination. He eyed her and then limped down the stairs.

The first time he woke on the TARDIS he'd been so relieved that he hadn't been stuck in that horribly dull village that he let that override another feeling, but now that other feeling was stronger. Loss. Complete and utter loss. That village might've been dull and boring and he might've been stuck there, but he had the one thing he never thought he'd have again. He had a family. Rose and a child. Their child. Even having to live in a cottage in a boring little village was worth that.

Having all that and then having it taken away, finding out it was a dream, or possibly a dream, was more than he could take so he did the only thing he could. He covered the loss, buried it under the anger.

"Do you want me to take a look?" she suggested. "Maybe I can tell what's wrong because of that thing, you know."

Did he want her to…He rolled his eyes. No, he didn't need her to fix the TARDIS. He could do that just fine on his own. Had been doing it on his own since he acquired her.

"No, I don't want you to take a look. Stop talking to me when I'm cross," he snapped.

"Doc, watch it," Jack warned.

Yeah, well, Jack could sod off for all he cared at the moment.

"There's something going on with the TARDIS, I've hurt my leg, and we keep flashing forwards or backwards, and I might lose…" he stopped that thought before it found a voice. Instead he growled in frustration. "I'm sorry if I'm a bit out of sorts," he snapped.

"Whatever's wrong with the TARDIS, is that what caused us to dream about the future?" Rose asked.

"If we were dreaming about the future."

Wouldn't that be nice? If it was their future. He wouldn't have to feel loss if that was true because eventually he'd have everything he ever wanted, but no. He shook his head. It wasn't the future. It was a dream. Or this was a dream. One of them was a dream.

"Of course we were. We had that cottage in that little village," she said.

"Yeah, and we could still be in that little village," he said, climbing up the stairs, "dreaming of this." He eyed her handing over the wrench he brought up. "Don't you get it?"

"No, this is real. I'm definitely awake now," she insisted.

"And you thought you were definitely awake when you were all," he spread his hands out and puffed his cheeks up.

"Sorry?" she asked, brandishing the wrench. He glanced from her to the wrench…Over the line, yes, he might've stepped over the line a bit with that one.

"Oh…um…yes…well…" he stammered.

"Pregnant with your child," she snapped, shaking the wrench at him.

"And you could be giving birth right now. This could be the dream. I told you. Trust nothing we see or hear or feel. Look around you. Examine everything. Look for all the details that don't ring true."

He worked at the console, trying to work through his anger. There was something going on with the TARDIS. Something really not good. Suddenly, the lights went out. All the power drained. What? No, what?

"It's dead. We're in a dead time machine." The sound of birds filled the air. "Remember, this is real. But when we wake up in the other place, remember how real this feels," he said.

"It is real. I know it's real," she insisted.

**-0-**

The Doctor opened his eyes and looked around. They were sitting on a bench outside the Library. A teacher led a group of school children past as the church clock began to chime. Rose and Jack woke up. He glanced at her, that feeling of loss washing over him again.

What if this was the dream? It didn't feel like a dream, but he knew better than to trust that. His wife. His child. He'd still have Rose, but she wouldn't be his wife and in the TARDIS the idea of them being married scared him, made him want to run, not from her. Never from her, but from going through with it, from ever asking, but here it wasn't bad. Here it felt right.

"Okay, this is the real one," Rose said. "Definitely this one. It's all solid."

"It felt solid in the TARDIS too," he said, standing up and then walking over to help her. She smiled and even with all the fear he felt he couldn't help smiling back. Maybe this was real. Maybe just this once the universe would be kind. "You can't spot a dream while you're having it."

_Think, think, think. _There was something going on, something wrong. Something extremely, terribly wrong and he had to work out what it was, but he couldn't do that if he lost it, which was exactly what had been threatening to happen ever since he realized he might lose everything. He had to control his emotions. Rein them in. Figure this out.

"So, if this is a dream it has to be someone's dream, yeah?" she asked.

She was right. If it was a dream, whose dream was it? Working that out might help him work out what was going on. Which was the dream and whose dream was it?

"Cottage in a little village, we're married, you're pregnant. If this is the dream then maybe it's your dream," he suggested.

"Why mine?" she asked, eyeing him.

Didn't he just explain all that? Cottage, village, married, pregnant, it was pretty obvious.

"You're…you know," he said, glancing at her.

She pulled him to a stop. He looked at her. She seemed upset. Why was she upset? She was the obvious choice. Family was important to her and she was married, pregnant, they lived in a little cottage.

"What?" he asked.

"Doc," Jack warned.

He glanced at the man. Worried? Yes. Why was he worried? He gazed at Rose, she was still upset.

"Well, isn't that what you want?" he inquired.

"You think I want to get married and pregnant?" she snapped.

Maybe it was the hormones. Yes, must be. She was still human-ish. All sorts of hormones coursed through their bodies when they were pregnant. She was just doing that thing where she went a bit round the bend, like when she wanted him to rearrange the furniture four times in a row because the room didn't look right and she always decided it looked best the way it had been before.

"Yes. It's all domestic," he replied.

She pulled her hand back and slapped him across the face, hard.

"Ow," he yelled. "You slapped me!"

"Maybe this is your dream," she accused.

"Mine? Why would it be…Hang on," he said as he noticed three elderly people watching them from the Residential Care Home. Not just watching them. There was something about them. Something suspicious. "Everyone here lives well into their nineties."

"That's one of the reasons you bought the cottage, remember?"

"Yeah, but there's something here that doesn't make sense." They were old, but not elderly human old. They seemed too old. "Let's go and poke it with a stick."

He took her hand and started running towards the building with Jack following.

"Can we not do the running thing?" she begged.

**-0-**

He pulled her into the building, down the hall, and through an open doorway that led into the room the elderly people were gathered in. Some read papers while other knitted. Jack entered behind them. A woman Rose recognized as Mrs. Poggit looked up from her knitting.

"Oh, hello, Rose," Mrs. Poggit said. "Coming along, aren't you dear?"

She gave the woman a smile, resting a hand on her stomach.

"A bit, yeah. How's your hip?"

The Doctor caught Rose's gaze and leaned close to her.

"You know her? How do you know her?" he asked.

"From the shop. I met her a few days after we moved in and sometimes I see her in town and we chat. I'm sure I told you about her."

Why did he seem so worried about it? She was just a nice old woman.

"Hip's a bit stiff today," Mrs. Poggit commented.

He turned around and began glancing around the room.

"Oh, easy, D-96 compound, plus," he said and then shook his head. "No, you don't have that yet. Forget that."

Mrs. Poggit glanced from her to the Doctor and then to Jack.

"Is one of them your husband, dear?" the woman asked.

"Yeah," she said, giving the Doctor a smile that he returned.

"The good looking one," the woman asked glancing at Jack and then turned to the Doctor, "or the other one?"

"The other…" he crossed the room, eyeing the old woman. "What do you mean the other one? I am _not_ the other one," he insisted.

"Doc, it's all right, she didn't mean anything," Jack said.

"Really? Because I think she did."

"Doctor," she warned, resting her hand on his arm.

Mrs. Poggit lifted the sweater she was knitting.

"Can I borrow you?" the woman asked, glancing at him. "You're the size of my grandson."

"No," he insisted, folding his arms in that childish manner.

Rose took his arm and caught his gaze.

"Oh, go on," she said.

He sighed and then bent down in front of Mrs. Poggit, then dropped to his knees as she slipped the sweater over his head. "Slightly keen to move on." He sat up sliding his arms through the sleeves. "Freak psychic schism to sort out." He leaned toward her, making her sit back in her chair as he gazed into her eyes as if he was trying to work something out. "You're incredibly old, aren't you?"

The sound of birds filled the air and Rose swayed, her eyelids growing heavy. She sat down, quickly, afraid she'd fall otherwise.

**-0-**

Rose opened her eyes. Console. She'd been leaned over, lying on the console. She turned around as the Doctor picked something up and carried it up the stairs. This was real. The village was a dream.

"Okay, this is definitely real," she insisted. "It's definitely this one." She glanced at Jack. "I keep saying that, don't I?"

She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Doc, why's it so cold in here?" Jack asked, gazing up at the Time Lord as he dashed inside the corridor and then back out.

"The heating's off," he said.

"The heating's off?" Jack asked.

Why would the heating be off? It was never off.

"Yeah. Put on a jumper. That's what I always do."

It was bloody cold. She rubbed the sides of her arms and stomped her feet.

"Sorry, about Mrs. Poggit. She's usually so nice," she said.

The Doctor caught her gaze.

"I wouldn't believe her nice old lady act if I were you," he said.

What did he mean by that? In the dream she'd known Mrs. Poggit for almost a year. She was all normal. Just a nice old woman. Talked about knitting and her grandchildren, that sort of thing.

"What do you mean, act?" she asked, stepping forward.

"Everything's off." He said after checking something upstairs. "Sensors, core power. We're drifting." He turned and hurried back downstairs. "The scanner's down so we can't even see out. We could be anywhere." He stopped on the bottom step. Angry. "Someone, something, is overriding my controls."

A man appeared at the top of the stairs. Short, middle-aged, wearing a suit and a bowtie.

"Well," the man said, "that took a while." The Doctor spun around as Jack put his arm around her, protectively. "Honestly, I'd heard such good things." The man started down the stairs. "Last of the Time Lords. The Oncoming Storm. Him in the bowtie."

The man walked past them and she could see that the Doctor was worried. Who was he and where the hell had he come from?

"How did you get into my TARDIS? What are you?" the Doctor asked.

The man stopped near the console and turned around, facing them.

"What shall we call me? Well, if you're the Time Lord, let's call me the Dream Lord."

Dream Lord? Then he was the cause of all this.

"Nice look."

"This? No, I'm not convinced. Bowties?"

The Doctor pulled a yellow ball, about the size of a tennis ball, from his inside pocket and threw at the Dream Lord. It passed through the man. A hologram? Must be.

"Interesting," he said.

"I'd love to be impressed, but Dream Lord. It's in the name, isn't it? Spooky. Not quite there," the man said and then vanished and reappeared behind them. "And yet, very much here."

Rose spun around as did Jack. The Doctor stepped past them.

"I'll do the talking, thank you," he said.

Rose stepped toward him.

"Dream Lord. Then you create dreams, yeah?" she asked.

The man gazed at her, tilting his head slightly. He was more than spooky, but she held his gaze, unflinching. She wasn't about to let him think that he scared her.

"Dreams, delusions, cheap tricks," the Dream Lord replied.

"So, you put us all into some kind of dream state. Why?"

The man smiled.

"Ooo. I can see why he keeps you around."

"He doesn't keep me around," she snapped.

The man vanished again and reappeared behind them. She spun around.

"Ah, well, there's a delusion I'm not responsible for," the Dream Lord said, giving her a smile.

The Doctor stepped toward him, angrily.

"Where did you pick up this cheap cabaret act?" he asked.

"Me? Oh, you're on shaky ground."

"Am I?"

"If you had any more tawdry quirks you could open up a Tawdry Quirk Shop. The madcap vehicle, the cockamamie hair, the clothes designed by a first-year fashion student. I'm surprised you haven't got a little purple space dog just to ram home what an intergalactic wag you are. Where was I?" He vanished and reappeared upstairs. "Ah, yes. So, here's your challenge. Two worlds. Here, in the time machine, and there, in the village that time forgot.

In one, one of you has everything he…or she has ever wanted," She glanced at the Doctor and found him glancing at her, "and in the other, everything remains as it always has been. The safety of familiarity." She turned her gaze back to the Dream Lord. "One is real, and the other's fake. And just to make it more interesting, you're going to face in both worlds a deadly danger, but only one of the dangers is real. Tweet, tweet. Time to sleep." Birds began to sing. Her eyelids grew heavy and she swayed. "Oh. Or are you waking up?"

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	37. Rose's Choice Part 2

The Doctor opened his eyes. Floor. Lying on the floor. He stood up, quickly. They were in the lounge at the Residential Care Home.

"Oh, this is bad," the Dream Lord said, stepping into the room holding an X-ray. He was dressed differently, dark blue suit and a tie instead of a bowtie. "This is very, very bad. Look at this X-ray. Your brain is completely see-through. But then, I've always been able to see through you, Doctor."

Rose stepped closer to the man. Jack stood directly behind her.

"Always?" she asked.

The Doctor backed up and sat down in the chair Mrs. Poggit had been sitting in. He crossed his legs, gazing at the man's shoes. There was something…something familiar about him.

"Now then, the prognosis is this. If you die in the dream, you wake up in reality. Healthy recovery in next to no time. Ask me what happens if you die in reality," the Dream Lord said.

"What happens?" Jack asked.

"You die, stupid. That's why it's called reality."

"You've met the Doctor before, or, at least, you know him," Rose asked, glancing from the Dream Lord to him and then back.

"Clever, but never mind that. You've got a world to choose." He eyed the Doctor, stepping closer to the chair. "One reality was always too much for you, Doctor. Take two," he mimed answering a phone, "and call me in the morning."

Then the man vanished. Jack eyed him.

"All right, Doc, who is he?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. It's a big universe," he replied.

"He has to be doing this for some reason."

"Maybe because he has no physical form. That gets you down after a while, so he's taking it out on folk like us" he glanced down and realized he was still wearing that awful sweater, "who can," he stood up, "touch and eat and feel."

He pulled the sweater off and tossed it in the chair.

"All right. We don't know who he is or why he's doing this. So, let's focus on what we do know, yeah?" she asked.

He glanced around the room.

"He said we'd face two deadly dangers," Jack said.

All the chairs were empty.

"One in each world," she agreed.

Where did they all go?

"They've all gone," he said and then gazed at Rose. "They've all gone."

He took her hand and raced out of the room, down the hall, and out the door. He stopped, looking around, there was something off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He led her over to the park. Jack hurried out the door after them.

"What did you mean earlier, Doc? About Mrs. Poggit's nice old lady act?" Jack asked.

He turned to Jack, eyeing the man. An act. Definitely an act. There was something off about all of those elderly humans.

"One of my tawdry quirks. Sniffing out things that aren't what they seem." He glanced from Rose to Jack. "So, come on, let's think. The mechanics of this reality split we're stuck in. Time asleep exactly matches time in our dream world, unlike in conventional dreams."

"And we're all dreaming the same dream at the same time," Rose said.

He glanced at her.

"Yes, sort of communal trance. Very rare, very complicated. I'm sure there's a dream giveaway, a tell, but my mind isn't working because this village is so dull!" He yelled, gazing up at the sky.

That was exactly why he didn't like staying in one place for too long. Why he kept busy while he was there, but even the keeping busy wasn't enough. His mind was slowing down and he couldn't afford that. Not with that Dream Lord and the deadly danger they would face.

His frustration fed the anger he already felt. Anger that this might be the dream, probably was the dream, and he'd lose…everything. Everything! It was the worst sort of torture, and those thoughts kept him from focusing, kept him from…

"Oh," Rose yelled, pulling her hand out of his as she bent over, grabbing the sides of her stomach. What? His mind completely froze. "Ow!" She looked at the Doctor. No. What? No! "Really." She screamed. Stomach. Baby. Coming. What the hell was he supposed to do? "Doctor, it's coming."

She grabbed his arm.

"Okay," What was he supposed to do? "coming, um, Jack" he glanced at the other man. Concerned? Worried? White as a sheet? Definitely, all three. "What do we do?"

"You're the Doctor," Jack said, looking like he had no idea what to do.

The baby would come out and…and…catch, yes, that's what he had to do. Catch the baby.

"Right. Yes. I'm the Doctor." He squatted down, putting his hands out to catch the baby. "Ready."

"Okay, it's not coming," Rose said, standing up.

He stood up, eyeing her. False alarm? Again?

"What?" he asked.

"Is your mind working now because you can't say that was dull," she said, catching his gaze.

She…she was pretending? Why would she do that? Both of his hearts had almost given out. Was she trying to kill him?

"Rose, that…that wasn't funny! Not at all!" he snapped.

"I have to agree with the Doc, Rosie. I'm pretty sure if I wasn't immortal I'd be dead," Jack agreed.

She leaned toward the Doctor, eyeing him in that way only Tyler women could.

"If you don't want me to do that again then I suggest you start thinking," she threatened, poking him in the chest and then walked past him and into the park.

She was infuriating! He watched her walk over and sit down in one of the swings. She was trying to distract him from the dullness and she'd done a good job of it, even if he wasn't happy about the way she'd done it.

"You better start thinking, Doc, because I don't know about you, but immortal or not, I don't think I'm going to survive her doing that again," Jack said, before turning and walking over to the swings to join Rose.

The Doctor stared around the park. A teacher led a group of school children up the steps to a grassy area atop the hill. A few moments later Mrs. Poggit stepped into the park, walking toward the stairs. He crossed the park, keeping an eye on her, as he walked over to the swings. He sat down in one next to Rose. She folded her arms, glancing away from him. She was upset with him and he wasn't entirely sure why. She was the one who almost killed him, trying to take out both of his hearts at the same time, but he knew better than to provoke her, what with all those hormones.

"Now, we all know there's an elephant in the room," he said, glancing at her.

Jack's eyes widened and Rose turned her head, glaring daggers at him.

"I have to be this size, I'm having a baby, remember?" she snapped.

"No, no. The hormones seem real, but no." He glanced at Jack. "Is nobody going to mention Jack's mustache?" She looked at him and started laughing. Yes. Laughing was definitely good. "You hold him down, I'll shave it off?"

He laughed with her, but Jack gave them both an incredulous look.

"At least I'm not wearing a bowtie," Jack shot.

"Bowties are cool." He straightened his bowtie. Then he stood up as he glanced over at the stairs and noticed Mrs. Poggit watching the children very suspiciously. "We won't be hiring Mrs. Poggit as a babysitter." He heard Rose and Jack walk up behind him. Mrs. Poggit turned, glancing at him. "What's she doing? What does she want?"

The sound of birds filled the air. No, not now.

"Oh, no. Here we go," Rose said.

**-0-**

Rose opened her eyes and sat up. TARDIS. She was back on the TARDIS. Jack sat up next to her. Oh. She wrapped her arms around herself. It was freezing. How long had they been out? She stood up and walked over to the console where the Doctor was standing.

"It's really cold. I'm going to go put on some warmer clothes. You should put something on too," she said.

"What does it matter if we're cold?" he snapped, turning around to face her. What the hell was wrong with him? "We have to know what she's up to." She gazed at him and he seemed to realize he was yelling. "Sorry," he rubbed his face. "sorry. Go ahead," he motioned toward the corridor. "I'm fine."

He was anything, but fine. She was freezing though so she decided to put on some warmer clothes and then find out what was going on with him when she came back out. She started down the corridor with Jack. He'd been in the TARDIS before so he knew where the wardrobe was, at least, she hoped that's where he was going.

"So, which life do you want?" Jack asked.

She glanced at him.

"Sorry?" she asked.

"The one where you're both settled and about to have a baby or this?"

He spread his arms wide, gazing around the corridor.

"This one of course," she replied, knowing it wasn't entirely true.

"Rosie."

He knew her too well.

"Okay," she sighed, glancing at him, "being married would be sort of…nice" He smiled, taking on a bit of an _I knew it_ look, "and a family, but, Jack," she eyed him, "he's the Doctor. He can't just drop everything and go live in some little village and raise a family and I wouldn't want him to. I mean, I like the traveling too."

Which was true. She loved the traveling and seeing new things and helping. It's what he did, it's what they did together. She wouldn't want to give it up, but, yeah, a family with the Doctor would be nice. Finally knowing, without a doubt, where she stood with him.

"Why couldn't you two do that here?"

Well, they could. At least, they ought to be able to. She didn't understand why they weren't doing that in the dream. It was a dream, wasn't it? Or was this the dream? She shook her head. It wasn't that, it was, well how he was, how the Doctor was.

"Still, Jack, it's a baby and responsibility and commitment and you know how he is with all that."

Commitment wasn't really his thing. Hell, it'd taken them being separated twice, her being kidnapped from the parallel world, him saving her, and the TARDIS locking them in the library and threatening him just to get him to admit how he felt about her. Marriage. Yeah, never going to happen. Well, unless her mum appeared, the TARDIS locked all three of them in the library together, and then the universe would probably have to be threatened on top of all everything else before that ever happened.

"Oh, come on, if you had to choose, which one would it be?" he asked, like he was asking who her secret crush was.

"I'm not going to choose," she insisted, choosing not to answer because, well, what if the TARDIS overheard and decided to tell the Doctor? Okay, probably not going to happen, but what if he didn't want what she wanted? No, best not to even answer that question. "The Doctor will figure this out. He always does."

"Unless we freeze to death first, well, you two freeze to death and I just freeze," Jack said, folding his arms and rubbing them, even though he was wearing a long coat.

She stopped in front of the door to her room.

"He'll figure that out too," she said, turning the handle.

She dashed in her room. Pulled on a sweater and a warm coat. Then ran back out into the hall in time to find Jack running back from the wardrobe room. He had a heavier jacket over his and another long coat draped over his arm.

"Thought he might wear this if you suggest it," Jack said.

She took the coat and ran back into the control room.

"Ah, Jack," the Doctor said as they ran up to the console. He shoved something into Jack's hand that looked a lot like and egg beater. "Wind. Rose," He handed her a wire that was coming off the egg beater thing, "could you attach this to the monitor, please."

She took it and walked over to the monitor, plugging the wire in.

"What is this?" Jack asked.

"It's a generator. Get winding," he ordered.

Jack began winding the egg beater generator. She walked over to join the Doctor on the other side of the console.

"Why is the Dream Lord doing this to us? I mean, why us?" Jack asked.

There wasn't enough power yet.

"Not enough," she said.

"Jack more winding, less talking," he ordered.

A noise drew her attention to the monitor on the wall. Space. They were just floating in space.

"Where are we?" Jack asked.

"We're in trouble," the Doctor said in his worried voice.

Something came into view on the monitor. It looked like a star, but it was white and appeared to be made of ice.

"What is that?" she asked.

"A star," he replied. "A cold star."

The Doctor raced over to the TARDIS doors. When he opened one of them the light nearly blinded her.

"That's why we're freezing," he yelled. "It's not a heating malfunction. We're drifting towards a cold sun. There's our deadly danger for this version of reality."

He slammed the door shut and walked over to the monitor on the wall.

"So this must be the dream. There's no such thing as a cold star. Stars burn," Jack insisted.

"So's this one." He folded his arms, rubbing them with his hands. "It's just burning cold."

"Is that possible?" she asked, picking up the heavy coat Jack pulled out of the wardrobe and crossing the room toward the Doctor.

"I can't know everything," he said, catching her gaze as she drew near. "Why does everybody expect me to, always?"

She helped him into the thick coat. Then he dashed across the room and up the stairs.

"Okay," she said, following him, "this is something you haven't seen before. So, does that mean this is the dream?"

"I don't' know," he flopped down in the jump seat, "but there it is, and I'd say," he glanced at his watch, "we've got about fourteen minutes until we crash into it. But that's not a problem."

He stood up and picked up a stethoscope, putting it on.

"Because you know how to get us out of this?" Jack asked.

"Because we'll have frozen to death by then. Well, Rose and I will have."

He started using the stethoscope to listen to the console.

"Then what are we going to do?" she asked.

"Stay calm. Don't get sucked into it, because this just might be the battle that we have to lose."

The Dream Lord appeared behind him.

"There was an old doctor from Gallifrey," the Doctor spun around, taking the stethoscope off, "who ended up throwing his life away. He let down his friends and…" The sound of birds filled the TARDIS. "Oh, no. We've run out of time." Her eyelids grew heavy. "Don't spend too long there, or you'll catch your death here."

**-0-**

Rose hurried up the stairs after the Doctor with Jack following. They'd woke up on the ground in the park and he'd shot up and ran toward the stairs. She wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but Mrs. Poggit had been watching the children play before they passed out and woke up in the TARDIS. The woman appeared to have gone.

She reached the top a moment after he did, and followed him over to a pile of dirt. He bent down to examine it as she looked around the grassy area.

"Where are all the children?" she asked.

"Maybe they went back to the school," Jack said, coming over to stand next to her.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and examined the pile of dirt. He looked at the readings and his face fell. Sorrow, fear, he caught her gaze.

"Play time's definitely over," he said.

She glanced down at the pile of dirt that wasn't dirt, then around at the others. All of them had been children.

"Oh, my God," she gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

Dead. All of them. Oh…that…She felt the Doctor's arms wrap around her as he pulled her into his chest. He held her, but even that couldn't take away the horror of what happened. It must have been Mrs. Poggit. What the hell was she?

"What happened to them?" Jack asked.

"I think they did," the Doctor said, nodding.

She pulled away enough to follow his gaze. The elderly people from the home. They were lining up at the front of the park.

"They just look like old people. What are they?" Jack asked.

"They're very old people," he replied, taking her hand and hurrying down the stairs.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and started across the park toward the elderly people and that's when the Dream Lord made an appearance. Materializing to their left.

"Hello, peasants," the man said. He wore a grey suit this time with a yellow tie and brown fedora. "What's this?" He glanced at the elderly people. "Attack of the old people? Oh, that's ridiculous." He turned his gaze on them. "This has got to be the dream, hasn't it?" He eyed her. "What do you think, Rose? Let's all jump under a bus and wake up in the TARDIS." He pointed at the Doctor. "You first."

She'd love nothing more than to watch the Dream Lord jump under a bus. This was his doing. All of it. She knew he had something against the Doctor. She could see that, but who was he? Someone or something from the Doctor's past? Possibly. No, more than possibly, only there was something…something she couldn't quite put her finger on, almost as if he was familiar in some way.

The Time Lord turned a withering glare on the Dream Lord.

"Leave her alone," he growled.

The Dream Lord eyed him.

"Do that again," the man said. "I love it when he does that. Tall, dark hero. Leave her alone."

"Listen to the Doc, and leave her the hell alone," Jack insisted, stepping toward the man.

"Yeah, impressive, but not quite as impressive," the Dream Lord said, giving Jack a dismissive glance, then the man eyed Rose and smiled. "I know where your heart lies, don't I, Rose Tyler?" The Dream Lord stepped toward her. She stood her ground, refusing to let him frighten her. "I know what you want, want you truly want."

"Just sod off, why don't you?" she snapped, earning another smile from the man.

"Drop it. Drop all of it. I know who you are," the Doctor insisted.

Wait. What? She glanced at him. Yes, he definitely knew who the man was. Had he known for a while or just figured it out? She wasn't sure.

The Dream Lord glanced at him.

"Course you don't," the man said.

"Course I do. No idea how you can be here, but there's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do."

Hates him? So, the Dream Lord was one of his enemies. Definitely someone from his past, but…she glanced back at the man…there was still something about him. She was sure she'd never seen him before, but she felt like she almost knew him.

The Dream Lord smiled and then glanced at the elderly people.

"Never mind me. Maybe you should worry about them."

She followed his gaze. The elderly people were advancing across the park toward them. She looked back at the Dream Lord, but he was gone.

"Stay behind me," the Doctor ordered.

Then he stepped toward them. She followed next to Jack, ready to pull him back in case something happened.

"Hello," he greeted. "We were wondering where you went. To get reinforcements, by the look of it." He glanced at Jack. "Don't get comfortable here. We may have to run, fast."

All the elderly people opened their mouths. Green tentacle like, eyes peeked out. The Doctor pulled out his sonic and scanned the one standing directly in front of him, who happened to be Mrs. Poggit.

"Um…Doc, why's there an eye in her mouth?" Jack asked.

He looked at the readings.

"There's a whole creature inside her," he said, then glanced around at the others. So, there was something inside them. Controlling them? Or was it like the Slitheen? "Inside all of them. They've been there for years, living and waiting," he replied. The tentacle, like eye poked out further and it sprayed some sort of gas at them. What the hell? The Doctor jumped back, putting his hand out in front of Rose, she moved back with him. "Run!" he yelled, pulling his hand out of hers. Run? And just leave him there? Yeah, that's not going to happen. He looked at the creatures. "Okay, leave them, leave them. Talk to me. Talk to me."

"I'm not going anywhere," Rose insisted.

"Rose, just shut up and run," he snapped, without turning around. "You are Eknodines. A proud, ancient race. Why are you hiding away here? Why aren't you at home?" He glanced from Rose to Jack. "Jack, get her the hell out of here. NOW!"

That wasn't going to happen. She wasn't about to leave him there. Her friend caught her gaze.

"Sorry about this, Rosie, but he's right," Jack said.

He clamped his hand over her wrist and started running, pulling her along with him. What the hell did he think he was doing? She tried to pull out of his grip, but he held her firmly.

"Jack! Wait! Stop!" she yelled.

**-0-**

Jack pulled her up to the front door, opened it, drug her inside, and then closed it, setting the locks in place. Then he led her over to the stairs. She sat down, completely furious with him, him and the Doctor.

"How could you do that!" she yelled.

"The Doc will be fine," Jack insisted, dashing into the living room and looking out the window. "They're coming across the field toward the house."

She didn't care about the creepy green tentacle eye alien things inside those old people. The Doctor was back at the park with them if they hadn't killed him. Granted, he usually got away, but that wasn't the point.

"We just ran away. We abandoned him!" she yelled.

"It's what he wanted," Jack said, as he began blocking the windows with the furniture.

She didn't give a damn what he wanted. The Doctor was always doing that, trying to save her, but what about him? Who was going to save him?

"For us to abandon him?" she snapped.

She watched Jack move the hutch in front of the last window and then he returned to her side. He bent down next to her, taking her hand and catching her gaze. She glowered at him.

"No, Rosie," he said, "for you to be safe," He glanced at her stomach and then back to her, "both of you."

She sighed, glancing down as she rested her hand on her stomach. It wasn't just her now. It was them and, as much as she hated to admit it, the Doctor was right. She had to be safe, not for her, but for their child. That didn't mean she had to be happy about it. There was a slap in that man's future.

The sound of birdsong filled the air and her eyelids grew heavy.

**-0-**

The Doctor opened his eyes. Control room. Floor. TARDIS. This was all really, extremely not good. He sat up, buttoned his jacket, and then the coat. Coat? _When did I put on a coat? _Oh, well, good job he did.

"It's colder," Rose said, shivering as she sat up next to him.

He glanced from her to Jack.

"The three of us have to agree, now, which is the dream," he insisted.

"Well, the science is all wrong here. Burning ice?" Jack asked.

"No, no, no. Ice can burn. Sofas can read. It's a big universe." He pointed from one to the other. "We have to agree which battle to lose. All of us, now."

"Okay, which world do you think is real?" she asked.

"I…" He gazed into her eyes. Which world? Well, he knew which one was most likely real, but, "well…" He also knew which one he wanted to be real. "What do you think?"

"They both seem pretty real to me," she said, which didn't help him at all.

"I think this one's real," Jack said.

Yes, Jack was most likely right. Probably definitely right. Couldn't be the other one because the universe wasn't that kind. He held in the sigh that wanted to come because that would bring the feeling of loss and the pain. There were other things to worry about. He glanced at his watch.

"Nine minutes till impact," he said, standing up.

"What temperature is it?" she asked, getting to her feet as he walked around the side of the console.

"Outside? Brrr. How many noughts have you got? Inside? I don't know, but I can't feel my feet and," he glanced at her, "other parts."

Her eyes widened. _Hang on. Did I just…_He gave her another glance. _Yes. Yes, I did. _Living in a world where he and Rose were together, married, about to have a baby was…really, extremely not good. It was hard to keep the two separate.

"All of my parts are fine," Jack said, giving him a smile.

"Oh, shut up, Jack," he said, rolling his eyes. He lifted his hand, glancing at his watch again. "Our time's running out. If we fall asleep here we're in trouble." He rubbed his face. "If we could divide up," he began to pace, thinking, "then we'd have an active presence in each world, but the Dream Lord is switching us between the worlds. Why? Why?" He shook his hands. "What's the logic?"

"Good idea, veggie," the Dream Lord said, appearing next to him as he paced. He stopped. "Let's divide you three up, so I can have a little chat with our lovely companion." Wait. The man was wearing a long coat now, over his suit, similar to the coat the Doctor wore. Why was he wearing that? "Maybe I'll keep her, and you can have Pretty Boy to yourself for all eternity," He glanced from the Dream Lord to Rose, "should you manage to clamber aboard some sort of reality."

"Rosie, can you hear that?" Jack asked, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Hear what? I don't hear anything," Rose asked, gazing around the room.

His eyelids were growing heavy, but he force himself to cross the room, setting his hand on her shoulder and gazing into her eyes.

"Rose," he said. She didn't appear to be afraid, but there was concern in her eyes. "Don't worry. I'll…I'll be back."

He stumbled, unable to force himself to stay awake any longer.

"Doctor! No!" she yelled.

**-0-**

Rose eyed the Dream Lord. She didn't know who or what he was, but she didn't really care. In that moment she wanted to tear him limb from limb. He was toying with them, all of them, for some twisted amusement and she wanted him gone.

"Rose, we're going to have fun, aren't we?" the man asked.

She leaned toward him, giving him a withering glare.

"Bring him back!" she ordered. "Wake them both up right now!"

"Ooo," He gave her an amused smile. "Demanding, aren't you? I sort of like that."

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	38. Rose's Choice Part 3

Jack woke to the sound of the front windows being smashed. Those creatures were breaking into the cottage. He glanced at Rosie, sleeping at the bottom of the stairs. He had to get her out of there. The only way out was up, but the stairway was too narrow to carry her.

He climbed the stairs until he was behind her, then reached down and hooked his arms under hers and around her shoulders. He lifted the top half of her.

"I'm sorry, Rosie," he said, knowing she'd have a few bruises when she woke up and then he began dragging her up the stairs. _Thump. _"Sorry." _Thump. _"Sorry." _Thump._

A few moments later he was through the door, depositing her in the middle of the room. Then he grabbed a chair, wedged it under the door handle and sat on it. He could hear the creatures, downstairs, they weren't coming up yet, but they would. Soon enough.

**-0-**

The Dream Lord stood before her in the TARDIS. There was a layer of frost forming on everything. The console, the floor, even the walls. She ignored the chill in the air, hardly felt it in her anger. She wanted to throttle the man, get him out of there and away from all of them.

"Poor Rose," the Dream Lord said. "He always leaves you, doesn't he? Twice on a beach and now he's left you with me. Spooky old, not to be trusted me." He vanished and reappeared in the jump seat, wearing lounge clothes and smiling. "Anything could happen."

She leaned toward him, glaring.

"Who are you and what the hell do you want?" she demanded.

"Me? I've already told you that," he dismissed.

She stepped toward him, gazing over him as if sizing him up. She didn't believe that whole Dream Lord claim. That's not who he was. There was something else going on. That feeling of familiarity was still there. A nagging feeling that she couldn't quite place.

"Dream Lord, yeah?" she said. "Not really buying it. I mean, you've got the whole, not quite here, thing down, and somehow you're controlling our dreams," she eyed him, "but that's not who you really are, is it?"

He smiled as if they were sharing a secret.

"I knew I liked you," he replied as he stood up.

"The Doctor knows you," she leaned toward him, "but he wasn't sure how you could be here, which means you're someone who shouldn't be here, either someone from his past he never thought he'd see again or something different."

"Enough about me." He clapped his hands together. "Let's talk about you because I know what you want, Rose," he vanished, reappearing crouched down next to the Doctor who was sleeping. She spun around. He was wearing a suit again. He gazed down at the Time Lord, "what you truly want," he glanced at her, "what you won't even allow yourself to wish for, at least, not anymore. Not after he left you. Walked away without saying goodbye."

"Stop it." She insisted, stepping toward him. She didn't like that he knew what she wanted. Secrets that hadn't found a voice and probably never would. "That…" she shook her head. "That doesn't matter anymore."

"Doesn't it?" He stood up. "You've spent years, saving him, making sure he wasn't alone," he caught her gaze, "but what about you? What about what you want?" He stepped toward her. "Now, you can have it. The Doctor, a family to make up for the one you lost," an emptiness settled in her chest, she tried not to think about that, about her family, and she hated that he knew, "no fear of him leaving you, walking away again."

"It's not real," she insisted.

Yes, it was true. The other world, that's what she wanted, but not if it wasn't real.

"Real…well, isn't that just relative? And what's your other option? Here, in the TARDIS with the Doctor, but not the one who married you, the one who runs. The one who will never settle because he's too afraid." She glanced at the Doctor and then the Dream Lord. "The coward." He vanished and reappeared in front of her. So close she took a step back. "Pick a world, Rose Tyler, and this nightmare will all be over. He'll listen to you. They both will. It's you they're waiting on."

Then he vanished. She walked over, crouching down next to the Doctor, drawing his coat closed and then ruffling his hair. The Doctor. Her Doctor. Her husband, but not here, probably never here. She closed her eyes. A choice. She had to make a choice, but which one? Bird song filled the TARDIS. Whatever choice she made she had to make it soon.

**-0-**

The Doctor raced back to the cottage he shared with Rose after dropping all the people he saved at the church. He pushed down on the camper van's gas pedal, pushing the engine to go faster. He had to get to her, make sure she was all right. Her and their baby.

The Dream Lord appeared, sitting in the back seat. This time he wore a peach colored racing suit and held a full face helmet in his lap. He glanced at the man, who wasn't a man, in the rearview mirror. He knew who the Dream Lord was, but he wasn't sure if the man was angry over the changes to his time line, over trying to stop him from being created or if it was something induced by the real reason the man was there in the first place.

"It's make your mind up time in both worlds," the Dream Lord said.

"Fine. I need to find my wife," he replied.

"Wife." The man smirked. "How easily you say that here, in this world. This must be the dream because we both know you'd never go through with it in the real world. That's why you ran. Why you left her behind. The real reason. The one you never shared."

He hated the Dream Lord. Hated that he knew things, secrets that he didn't even share with himself. He left Rose on that beach to keep her safe, to protect her, but, yes, a small part of him had been afraid of how close they were. Had been scared ever since she shared her feelings the first time he saw her on that beach, not at first, not then, because then he'd lost her. She'd been ripped away and he knew he'd never be with her again. So, he almost told her because the loss he felt overrode everything else, but when she came back, after the Crucible, he felt the fear. It was easy to tell himself it was all about saving her, all about protecting her, but the Dream Lord knew the truth, knew that it wasn't just about that.

"If you say so," he replied.

"Oh, I do. Remember, Doctor, I know you." The man leaned forward, catching the Doctor's eye in the rearview mirror. "Coward."

Then the Dream Lord vanished and he was left with his thoughts, but he chose to push them aside and he slammed down on the gas. The cottage came into view and he stopped out front. The elderly people were trying to break in. One of them had a chainsaw. He glanced around the windows. Second floor, he could reach one of the windows if he climbed up onto the low roof that hung over the front door.

**-0-**

Rose opened her eyes and sat up. Floor. Cottage. Nursery. She was upstairs. Jack was sitting in a chair in front of the door.

"How did I get up here?" she asked.

"I brought you up," Jack said. "You might have some bruising. Couldn't carry you. The stairway is to narrow."

She glanced around the room again. Where the hell was he? She looked at Jack.

"Where's the Doctor?"

"I don't know."

Fear flooded through her. He should've found them by now. Should be there. What if something happened? What if those creatures got him?

"I told you we shouldn't have left him," she insisted.

Jack walked over, bending down next to her.

"Rosie, I'm sure he's all right," her friend said.

"Sure of that are you?" She glared at him. If he hadn't made her leave, hadn't drug her off she could've helped. "I'd rather-"

The window opened, cutting her off. Was that one of the creatures? She scooted back as Jack stepped in front of her, but a moment later the Doctor climbed inside. Relief flooded through her. He stumbled and fell, landing on the floor, on his back, in front of her. She eyed him.

"You're late," she snapped.

"Sorry, I had to stop off at the butcher's," he replied.

She leaned down, feigning anger.

"So, that's what it takes to get you to do the shopping?" He smiled and she couldn't help grinning. "Aliens taking over old people and then attacking us?"

He sat up and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and in that moment nothing else mattered because he was safe and they were together.

"Sorry, to break this up, but what are we going to do?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said, pulling away and glancing from her to Jack. "I thought the freezing TARDIS was real, but now…" He caught sight of the crib and stood up, walking over to it. He fingered one of the little stars hanging from the mobile. "I'm not so sure."

Pain seared through her stomach. "Oh!" she cried, grabbing her stomach. The Doctor was beside her in the next moment, crouching down next to her. "I think the baby's starting."

"Honestly?" he asked.

"Now? You're going to have the baby now?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"Would I make it up at a time like this?" she yelled through the pain.

"Well, you do have a history of," she shot the Doctor a glare, "being very beautiful."

A brick flew through the window, landing on the carpet. The Doctor glanced at the window over his shoulder.

"Why are they so desperate to kill us, Doc?" Jack asked.

"They're scared," he replied. "Fear generates savagery."

A garden gnome crashed through the window near Rose. The Doctor stood up, pulling out his sonic. Mrs. Poggit leaned through the window and shot gas at him. He stepped back, but not in time. Some of the gas touched him.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted as he stumbled back, a look of disbelief and surprise on his face. He fell to the floor against the dresser.

Jack picked up a lamp and knocked Mrs. Poggit off the porch roof, but she wasn't paying attention to that. She was worried about the Doctor and the fact that he'd been exposed to that gas.

"Doctor," she said, her eyes misting over as she took his hand. "You'll be all right." He'd regenerate and she wasn't entirely happy about that, but he'd live. Her Doctor. He'd be all right.

"I'm sorry," he said, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek. "I'm so sorry."

He wasn't glowing, wasn't doing that thing that happened when he regenerated. Why wasn't it happening? And then she knew. He was dying, fully and completely dying. Fear burned through her like fire.

"Don't you dare leave me!" she yelled.

"Take care of her. Take care of our daughter," he said.

His body began turning to dust.

"No! No! Don't you dare leave me again," she insisted, but it wasn't enough to stop it and a moment later there was nothing left of him, but a pile of dust. She sat there, fingering the dust. "He'll…he'll be all right."

"Rosie," Jack said, bending down next to her, gazing at her with sad eyes.

"He'll regenerate. That's what he does," she insisted.

"He died too quickly. He didn't have a chance to regenerate."

The Doctor. Her Doctor. Her husband. He was gone.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. He couldn't be gone. Not like that. Not for good. She wouldn't allow it. "No!" she yelled, pushing Jack away as she stood up. She took a step one way and then another, overwhelmed by grief. She felt herself falling, cracking. "No!" she screamed.

Jack was there, wrapping his arms around her.

"Rosie, I'm…I'm sorry," he said.

The Doctor couldn't be gone. He just couldn't be. She pulled away from Jack, catching his gaze through the veil of tears in her eyes. She held them back, refusing to let them fall. "This is the dream," she insisted. "Definitely this one. According to the Dream Lord, if we die here, we wake up, yeah?"

"If he was telling the truth. Otherwise we'll just die, well, you will," Jack said.

"Either way, this is my only chance of seeing him again."

He took her shoulders, catching her gaze and she could see that he was worried, but she didn't care about that. The Doctor couldn't be gone, not like this, not forever. She refused to believe that.

"Rosie," he tried.

"This is the dream," she insisted. "I know it is."

"How do you know?"

She didn't, but if it wasn't she didn't want any part of it. She couldn't live in a world without the Doctor because there was no world, no life, without him.

"Because if this is real, if the Doctor's really dead, I don't want it." She eyed him. "I don't want it."

Then she turned, moved the chair, opened the door, and started down the stairs. Some of the creatures had gotten into the cottage, but they didn't attack, they just stood by as she crossed to the door, opened it, and started across the lawn toward the camper van. The ones outside merely watched.

"Why aren't they attacking?" she yelled.

It didn't make any sense. They stopped attacking now. Now! After the only man she loved was dead, gone. Jack glanced at them.

"Either, you're right, and this is the dream or they know what you're about to do," he said.

As she reached the van he grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him.

"Rosie, are you sure?" He asked, gazing in her eyes. He was afraid, for her, but she wasn't. There was too much loss in her heart for fear to exist. "This could be the real world."

"It can't be," she insisted, shaking her head as a tear slid down her cheek. "The Doctor isn't here. I don't care. I honestly don't care about," she pulled the wedding ring off her finger and brandished it, "this," she flung it at the cottage, "or any of it. I just want him."

"Okay," he said, giving her a sad smile. "Okay."

She climbed in the driver's seat. The keys were still in the van. She grabbed them and started the engine. Jack climbed in next to her. She looked at him, catching his gaze.

"I don't need this life," she said. "I don't need any of it. I just need him."

She threw the van into gear, revved the engine and headed straight for the cottage. In a moment either she'd be with him or she'd be dead, but one way or the other the pain would end.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	39. Rose's Choice Part 4

Rose opened her eyes. It was bloody freezing. She gazed around the room. A thick layer of ice rested over everything. She could feel ice on her skin. She watched the Doctor and Jack shift. The Doctor. Her Doctor. He was alive. He was there. Then the Dream Lord appeared.

"So, you chose this world. Well done. You got it right. And with only seconds left. Fair's fair. Let's warm you up." The man walked over to the console and flipped a few levers. The power turned back on. "I hope you've enjoyed our little fictions. It all came out of your imaginations, so I'll leave you to ponder that. I have been defeated. I shall withdraw. Farewell."

The man vanished.

The Doctor sat up slowly and then got to his feet and he walked over to the console. She got up and joined him as he began flipping ice covered levers and turning dials.

"What are we doing now?" she asked.

He wound a crank and pushed a button.

"Do you trust me?" he inquired, catching her gaze.

"I always trust you," she said, giving him a smile.

Always and forever.

"Well, then, I'm going to blow up the TARDIS," he explained, returning her smile.

Okay, not what she expected, but she trusted him. The Time Rotor began to move.

"What?" Jack demanded.

"Notice how helpful the Dream Lord was?" He walked over to another part of the console and flipped a lever. "Okay, there was misinformation, red herrings, malice, and I could have done without the limerick." He turned another crank. The TARDIS made a, not entirely good, banging noise. "But he was always very keen to make us choose between dream and reality."

Another not entirely good banging noise. He laughed.

"But he conceded. This isn't a dream," Jack insisted.

"Yes, it is. Star burning cold?" He glanced at her, smiling and she grinned back. "Do me a favor. The Dream Lord has no power over the real world." He flipped a lever. "He was offering us a choice between two dreams."

"How do you know that?" Jack demanded.

He eyed her friend.

"Because I know who he is."

He pushed a button. A bright light filled the TARDIS and then…

**-0-**

Rose opened her eyes. Floor. Console room. TARDIS. No ice. No freezing. She stood up. The Doctor was standing at the console, leaning back against it. He had his hand out and seemed to be looking at something. He glanced at her.

"Any questions?" he asked.

She walked toward him.

"What's that?" she inquired, nodding at his open palm.

He lowered it so she could see what he was holding. Six small pearl-like crystals. They were beautiful.

"A speck of psychic pollen from the Candle Meadows of Krass Don Slava." He fingered the crystals. "Must have been hanging around for ages. Fell in the Time Rotor," He gestured at the Time Rotor and then glanced at the pollen, "heated up and induced a dream state for all of us."

He walked over to the TARDIS doors, opened one, and blew the pollen out into space. Then he closed the door and started back to the console. Jack stood up and walked over toward them.

"So, that was him then? The pollen," Jack asked.

"No, no," he said, catching Jack's eye as he stepped past. "No. Sorry, wasn't it obvious? The Dream Lord was me." Him? "Psychic pollen. It's a mind parasite. It feeds on everything dark in you, gives it a voice, turns it against you. I'm nine hundred and seven. It had a lot to go on."

Oh. That must be why she thought she knew him. He was the Doctor, the darkness inside him.

"That's why he seemed familiar," she said.

"Sorry?" he asked, catching her gaze.

"I kept thinking there was something about him. It was as if I knew him."

He smiled, reaching out and pulling her into a hug.

"And that is one of the reasons I love you, Rose Tyler," he beamed.

She laughed, hugging him back and just so glad he was there and he was alive.

"But, come on, Doc," Jack said, "those things he said about you. You don't think any of that's true, do you?"

The Doctor released her and then walked around the console and began flipping levers and she knew he was doing that thing where he was avoiding. She joined him as Jack wondered over to the jump seat and sat down.

She touched his arm, leaning against it and looking at him. Suddenly he eyed her, standing up.

"So, I blew up the TARDIS," he said, "which stopped the second dream, but what stopped the first one?"

"We crashed the camper van," she replied.

"Right. Okay." He caught her gaze. "I don't remember that bit."

"No, you weren't there. You were already…" she looked away, not wanting to get into things with him, things best not brought up.

"Already what?" he asked, leaning toward her.

He wasn't going to let this go.

"Dead," she admitted. "You died. Mrs. Poggit got you."

"Oh. Right." He turned back to the console and fingered a lever. "And then you two figured out it was a dream and crashed the van to wake up."

"Yeah," Rose said, glancing at Jack and hoping he wouldn't elaborate. "That's…um…that's what happened."

He glanced from her to Jack and then back to her and raised his brow.

"Rose?" He knew she wasn't being entirely honest, but if he thought he was the only one who could avoid, he was wrong. She turned to the console and flipped the lever to start the Time Rotor. "What're you doing?" he demanded.

"You promised to teach me to fly the TARDIS," she said, glancing at him. "Amy and Rory aren't here and we need to drop Jack back at Torchwood. No time like the present, yeah?"

She gave him that cheeky grin, knowing how much it flustered him and that it would, hopefully, do what she wanted, which was take his mind off why she crashed the camper van and ended the other dream. The Doctor ran from things like commitment and she didn't want him to run from her. All she needed was him.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	40. Rose's Choice - Afterward

Amy and Rory crossed through the control room on their way to bed. The Doctor feigned being busy with one of the cranks on the console. He didn't want to get caught up in a conversation. He'd run a scan on Rose earlier after they dropped off Jack and before they picked Amy and Rory up. He hadn't had a chance to look at it. He was waiting for everyone to clear out for a while.

Rose wasn't asleep, but she was in her room talking to Jack on the new Super Phone the Doctor made for her. He didn't like that title. It was a rubbish title, but she liked it, probably because it reminded her of who he was when they met.

After Amy's voice disappeared down the corridor he pulled the small monitor down and brought up the scan. Species…Unknown. He expected that. She was something new. Something without a name. Human plus Time Energy. Human Time. Human Time Energy. Time Human. He shook his head. No, those were all rubbish.

He was right about her telepathic abilities. He took a closer look at the scan. They weren't pronounced yet. She was almost at the level of a young Gallifreyan before looking into the Untempered Schism. He had no doubt her ability would grow as she changed. He rubbed his forehead. Changed. He didn't like that word and the implications.

What if everything about her changed? What if one day she was no longer Rose Tyler? He hung his head and closed his eyes. What if the woman he loved disappeared completely? River. His eyes snapped open. She would know. She was Rose's future. Their future. She would know what happened. But she'd never tell him.

He growled in frustration, slamming his fist into the console. The TARDIS shocked him and he cursed, earning himself another shock.

"Stop shocking me when I'm cross," he snapped, rubbing his hand.

A ding emanated from the monitor. He glanced at it. Under Species the words Human Plus Time Energy appeared. The sound of footsteps drew his attention to the corridor. He looked up in time to watch Rose enter the control room. Quickly, he turned off the monitor. He hadn't, exactly, told her when he scanned her and he wasn't sure how she would take it, so best avoid that for now.

"Don't mind me," she said, strolling through the control room dressed in a pair of those…pajamas? Is that what she'd called them? "I'm just popping in the kitchen to make a cuppa."

"Did you have a nice chat with Jack?" he asked.

"Oh, I wasn't chatting with Jack." She paused in the doorway. "Do you want a cuppa too?"

Wasn't chatting with Jack? Then who'd she been talking to for…he glanced at his watch…nearly an hour and a half?

"Um…a cuppa? Okay," he said, walking toward the kitchen. "If you weren't talking to Jack then who were you chatting with?"

"River," she said, walking across the room and picking up the kettle to fill it.

What? How could she have been talking to River?

"River? But…when did you get her number?"

"I didn't. She called me."

Hang on. That didn't make any sense.

"She called you? But I just gave you that phone a few hours ago."

"I know. Strange, isn't it?" she asked, giving him a smile as she put the kettle on. "She said I gave her my number a long time ago and she was trying to get hold of the other me, future me, but somehow the call went wrong and I got it too early."

Made sense, but if River was trying to get hold of future Rose then why'd she talk to past Rose for so long and what could past Rose have to talk to River about for nearly two hours?

"And you still talked to her for an hour and a half?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, opening the cupboard and pulling out two cups.

"What did you talk about?" he asked.

"Stuff," she said, with a shrug.

Stuff? That wasn't an answer. Was she being evasive? Wait. Had they been talking about him? Would she tell River about that dream? The one induced by the psychic pollen. The one where they were married and Rose was…

"What sort of stuff?" he inquired, sounding a bit more demanding than he intended, but something inside him was starting to panic.

"You know, girl stuff, and other stuff."

The kettle began to whistle and she turned it off. She wasn't looking at him and she was being evasive. They'd definitely been talking about him. What did Rose say about him? And River, the woman who loved to complicate things, what advice had she given Rose? Wait. Had Rose asked for advice about him? What if she had? He eyed her.

"That's not an answer," he insisted.

She caught his gaze, one hand going to her hip.

"Were you going to interrogate me about Jack's phone call too?"

Oh. Um. Interrogate. Had he been interrogating her? Yes, yes he had. That was not his intention. Definitely, really not good.

"No…I…um…" He rubbed the back of his neck, gazing at the floor, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, you're right. It's not really any of my business."

She laughed, touching his cheek, which brought his eyes up to hers.

"Oh, don't be like that, Doctor. We mostly just talked about the adventures we've been on. Well, I mostly talked because, you know, she has to be careful about what she says."

Oh. Adventures. Well that was all right. Though now he felt a bit let down, but, no, it was good that they hadn't been talking about him…wasn't it? Wait. That psychic pollen incident was an adventure, there were aliens and running and everything else their adventures had. Damn! And now he was back to wondering what they talked about. Okay, he had to get his mind off that.

Wait. River. Rose had River's number. Now he could ask her about Rose and what would happen.

"Do you have her number then?" he asked.

She gave him a suspicious look. Suspicious? Why was she suspicious?

"Yes," she said, slowly, as if she wasn't sure she should say.

"Could I-" he began.

She shook her head.

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"You were going to ask if you could have her number, yeah?"

"Okay, maybe you did know."

"She made me promise not to give it to you."

Hang on. River made her promise not to give him the number? Why would she do that…well, this was River and she just loved keeping him in the dark.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because you're not okay with not knowing things," she pointed out.

As he thought.

"I just want to-" he began.

"No," she insisted, folding her arms.

He needed to know. It was important, more than important, if there was something more than important that's what this was.

"Oh, come on," he begged. "Just one question. Just one. I promise."

"No."

No! Is that all she could say? This was important. He wouldn't say it was if it wasn't and now Rose wasn't going to help him and…this was all that bloody woman's fault. She was turning Rose against him! She never told him _no_, never refused him and now one phone conversation and she wouldn't even give him a phone number.

"We've known each other for years. Years!" he snapped. "And you're putting what River wants over what I want?"

She took his hand, catching his gaze.

"She's my friend, or she's going to be, and you know I take that seriously."

He sighed. Okay, he could understand that, well, Rose's part of that. She stuck by her friends, that's what she did and it one of the many attributes he loved about her, but he couldn't give up.

"Rose, please, this is important," he begged.

"She said you'd say that," she replied.

She said…Oh, how he loathed that woman.

"But it is. It really, truly is," he insisted.

"Okay, if it's that important tell me what it is and I'll ask her, but I can't guarantee she'll give me an answer."

Oh. Um. He hadn't expected that. Really, hadn't expected that. She wanted to help him, but she wouldn't betray her friend to do it, which he would admire if it wasn't for the fact that he couldn't tell her the question since it was about her.

"I…it's…it's personal."

She raised her brow.

"Personal?"

Definitely the wrong choice.

"I…it's…well…it's…Oh, never mind."

He turned around and stormed out of the kitchen. He had to get out of there before she asked him a question he couldn't avoid answering because he couldn't lie to her, not directly and the last thing he wanted was for her to find out that he was worried she'd change. That one day she'd wake up and she wouldn't be Rose Tyler anymore. That was a fear he would carry for both of them. No sense burdening her with it. Next time he saw River he'd make her tell him because he had to know.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers.

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	41. The Hungry Earth Part 1

The Doctor piloted the TARDIS. Rio. That's where Amy wanted to go. A boring, safe trip this time because the girls wanted sunshine and Amy wanted beaches. He really didn't like beaches, but he agreed because…well, how could he not.

Amy and Rory entered the control room after changing for their trip. He flipped another lever, pressed a button and then glanced up as Rose stepped out of the corridor. He froze and he was fairly sure one of his hearts stopped working, just for a moment. She was wearing a pink tank top and light jacket, but it was her skirt that drew his attention. Short, black, tight…very short, well, about as short as Amy's shorts, but still. He couldn't remember ever seeing that skirt before, but he liked it. He really, extremely liked it.

The TARDIS landed. Amy, Rory, and Rose raced over to the door. He hurried over, grabbing the handle and pulled it open.

"Behold, Rio," he exclaimed.

Rose leaned around him to look out the door and he very much liked the fact that her hand was on his arm. His own hand going to her back as he thought about that skirt.

"Rio?" she asked. "Doesn't really look like Rio."

"Nah," Amy said.

"Not really getting the sunshine carnival vibe," Rory replied.

Wait. Not Rio? He stepped out with Rose and gazed around. No, definitely not Rio.

"No?" he said, leaning toward Rory and then he felt something odd, under his feet, the ground, but different. He stepped further out the door. "Ooo, feel that, though." There was a strange sound in the distance. "What's that?"

The ground was more worrisome than the noise. He hopped up and down then glanced at Rose. She usually laughed when he did things like that, but she wasn't laughing. She was doing her own examination. Gazing at the ground and not hopping, but sort of pressing her foot against it. Wait. Could she feel it too?

"I don't know. The ground feels-" Rose began.

"Weird," he finished.

She looked up, catching his gaze and grinned.

"Yeah, weird," she agreed.

He smiled. She'd always been clever and quick. Yes, she could definitely feel it too.

"What's weird?" Rory asked.

"Rose, Doctor, stop trying to distract us," Amy insisted, walking toward him. "We're in the wrong place." He took Rose's hand and dashed behind the old church the TARDIS landed next to. He heard Amy and Rory chase after them. "It's freezing and I've dressed for Rio." Grass. Blue grass that shouldn't be there. He bent down, pulling Rose with him and then released her hand as he began examining it. "We are not stopping here." He plucked a handful of grass and lifted it up. Rose leaned close, looking at it. "Are you two listening to me? It's a graveyard. You promised me a beach."

"Blue grass," he said, catching her gaze.

"There's patches of it all around the graveyard," she said, looking around the area. "There's something definitely off about it. Any ideas?" she asked, standing up.

He stood up and looked over the area.

"Not sure yet. Working on it." He slid the grass into his inside pocket as Amy and Rory caught up. He looked from one to the other. Amy was very not happy. "So, Earth, 2020-ish, ten years in your future, wrong continent for Rio, I'll admit, but it's not a massive overshoot."

"Why are those people waving at us?" Amy asked.

He followed her gaze. Hang on. What?

"Can't be," he said. He pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked at the people on the hill. They were waving. It was. "It is. It's you two."

"No, we're here," Rory insisted. "How can we be up there?"

"Ten years in your future." He glanced at Rory. "Come to relive past glories, I'd imagine." He caught Rose's gaze and smiled. "Humans, you're so nostalgic."

He handed her the binoculars. She gazed at future Amy and Rory on the hill and waved.

"I'm getting nine," she said.

Wait. What?

"Nine? Are you sure?" He took the binoculars back and looked at the other Amy and Rory. "No, it's ten." He lowered them for a moment and then looked again. "I'm sure it's ten." He glanced at her and she was giving him that teasing grin and what with that skirt. That was entirely… "You're not playing fair again."

"We're still together in ten years?" Amy asked.

"No need to sound so surprised," Rory replied.

"Hey, let's go and talk to them. We can say hi to future us. How cool is that?"

No, no, no. That was an entirely not good idea. Amy took Rory's hand and started forward.

"Uh, no, best not," he said, stopping them.

"Really, best not," Rose agreed.

"These things get complicated very quickly, and," He glanced away and noticed something. "Oh, look. Big mining thing." Rose took his hand. He glanced at her and they shared a smile. "Oh, I love a big mining thing." He glanced back at the mining thing. "See? Way better than Rio." He looked at Amy and Rory and then back at the big mining thing again. "Rio doesn't have a big mining thing."

"We're not going to have a look, are we?" Amy whined.

He lifted Rose's hand and gave her a smile.

"What do you say?" he asked.

She grinned and he knew what her answer would be.

"Let's go and have a look, yeah?" she said.

He hurried through the graveyard with Rose next to him, her hand in his.

"Come on, you two," he called back. "Let's see what they're doing."

"You know we're going to have to take them to a beach after this," she said.

"I really was aiming for Rio." He glanced at her as she raised her eyebrows. "At first."

"Amy's not the only one who dressed for Rio," she pointed out, looking down at her outfit, which was, really very nice and really very distracting.

"Exactly." She gave him a questioning look. "I was aiming for Rio, you walked out in that skirt, and…"

He grinned and then realized a moment later what he was doing.

"Cheeky," she said, slapping his arm, but it was a playful slap.

Playful? And she was grinning…no, smiling. _That _smile. She was definitely not playing fair and he was sure she knew exactly what she was doing.

"You walk around dressed like that and I'm the cheeky one?" he asked, raising his brow.

"If you didn't want me to dress like this you shouldn't have suggested Rio."

"I didn't suggest Rio. Amy suggested Rio and I never said I didn't want you to dress like that. As a matter of fact, you should dress like that more often. All the time. No, no. I'd never get anything done and I might crash the TARDIS, fairly sure I almost did this time."

He caught her gaze, grinning.

"Doctor," she said, laughing.

"So, is this what it's going to be like now?" Amy asked, startling him because he didn't hear her come up behind them.

"Sorry?" he asked, glancing at her.

"You two run off and start flirting with each other?"

"Flirting?" he asked, taken back by her accusation.

He glanced at Rose who looked a bit startled. He hadn't been…and she hadn't been…but she had given him _that _smile and he said…Oh. Um…

"You weren't doing this before you dropped us in Paris. Is there something I should know?" Amy asked.

What did she mean, something she should know? Oh. No. What? Why would she even ask that?

"Sorry?"

"Something that happened while we were in Paris."

There was that whole dream fiasco, but that wasn't…he hadn't…and Rose she…um…were they different now? Well, there were thoughts. Quite a few thoughts about her and him and…but he couldn't share those. Not with Amy and definitely not with…he glanced at Rose, his eyes drifting down to that skirt and…he caught Amy's accusing gaze.

"No, nothing happened," he insisted.

"We-" Rose began.

No, no. Amy didn't need to know. She'd draw conclusions and want to talk about it and that was extremely not good.

"No, nothing happened," he interrupted, then focused his attention on the gate as they drew up to it. He raced over and turned his attention to the sign. "Look at that. A big threatening sign."

"Doctor," Rose said.

She wanted to tell Amy, but no, no, Amy didn't need to know certain things. Things that could lead to complications and talking and…

"Rose, perspective. Big threatening sign," he insisted.

"It says restricted access. How is that threatening?" Amy asked.

Okay, maybe it wasn't exactly threatening, but saying threatening stopped them talking. It was a nice word. Threatening. He really liked that word. Well, when he used it.

"No unauthorized personnel. Hmm…" he mused, pulling out his sonic.

He pointed it at the lock and held down the button. His sonic emitted the familiar warble. A moment later the lock popped open.

"That is breaking and entering," Amy hissed, as if she was afraid guards would come rushing to stop them.

"What did I break?" he asked, sliding his sonic back into his inside pocket.

"Its sonicing and entering," Rose said, giving him a smile that he returned as he pulled the lock off.

"Exactly," he agreed, pushing the gate open. "Totally different."

"Where's Rory?" Rose asked as she followed Amy through the open gate.

"He was worried I might lose my engagement ring so he's putting it back in the TARDIS. He'll catch us up," the girl replied.

The Doctor shut the gate and then took Rose's hand as they started toward the big mining thing.

**-0-**

Rose held the Doctor's hand as they walked down the mining corridor with Amy following. Rory still hadn't caught them up and she was starting to worry about him because there was definitely something going on what with that blue grass and the way the ground felt…wrong. Not spongy or anything like that, but it felt…as if it wasn't as solid as it should be, but there was something else too. Something she couldn't place.

"Can you still feel it?" he asked, glancing at her.

"Yeah, it's…" She glanced at the ground. "I don't know…wrong."

"Wrong." He caught her eye. "Yes. Exactly." They shared a smile and then he glanced at Amy. "Can you feel it now, Amy?"

"Honestly, I've got no idea what you two are going on about," Amy said.

He pulled the grass out of his pocket and smelled it. It wasn't just the ground. There was something about the grass too. She felt that earlier. The grass, the ground, they were connected.

"The ground doesn't feel like it should," he replied.

"It's ten years in the future. Maybe how this ground feels is how it always feels," Amy suggested.

"Good thought, but no, it doesn't," he replied.

"We've been to the past and the future, yeah?" Rose said, glancing at her. "But this is different."

"Hear that, drill in start-up mode." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his sonic. Then checked the readings. "After-waves of a recent seismological shift and blue grass."

He shoved the grass into his mouth. She laughed as he made a disgusted face and spit it back out into his hand.

"Oh, please," Amy said, joining Rose's laugh with her own. "Have you always been this disgusting?"

"No, that's recent," he replied, a bit surprised. Though that wasn't entirely true. Okay, maybe not this much, but he'd always been a bit…different with that sort of thing. An open doorway ahead of them drew his interest. "What's in…" He poked his head around the corner, bringing her with him. "Here?" A woman stood at a portable computer. The woman looked at them. "Hello," he said, stepping into the room, releasing Rose's hand. She followed him with Amy beside her.

"Who are you? What're you doing here? And what're you wearing?" the woman asked.

"We dressed for Rio," Amy pouted as they crossed the room, making Rose laugh.

The Doctor reached into his inside pocket and pulled out the psychic paper.

"Ministry of Drills, Earth and Science," he said, holding out the paper for a moment and then returning it to his pocket as he crossed the room. "New Ministry, quite big, just merged. It's a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. Don't like to talk about it. What are you doing?"

He focused on the portable computers.

"None of your business," the woman replied, before crossing the room to some equipment.

He looked at the monitors. Rose walked over near him and glanced at the readings.

"Where are you getting these readings from?" he asked.

"Under the soil," the woman said as she picked up the equipment and moved it.

"The drill's up and running again," an older man explained as he walked through the doorway. He eyed the Doctor. "What's going on?" The Time Lord bent down and picked up a handful of dirt from a hole in the floor then let it fall. "Who are these people?"

"Amy, Rose, the Doctor. We're not staying, are we, you two?" Amy asked.

Rose bent down next to him. He was picking up on something, but she wasn't sure what it was yet. Did that hole have anything to do with the ground feeling wrong?

"What happened to the floor?" she asked.

"Big patch of earth. Why's there a big patch of earth?" he inquired.

"We don't know. It just appeared overnight," the woman replied.

He looked up and then at Rose in that _not very good _sort of way. Then he took her hand and stood up, pulling her up with him.

"Good," he said, turning around. "Right." He pulled her over to the computer, stepping in front of the woman. "You all need to get out of here very fast."

"Why?" the woman asked.

He glanced at her and then back to the monitor.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Nasreen Chaudhry."

"Look at the screens, Nasreen. Look at your readings. It's moving."

Wait. Moving? What was moving? Rose looked at the screen.

"Hey, that's specialized equipment," the man said, walking toward them. "Get away from it."

"What is?"

"Doctor, this steam, is that a good thing?" Amy asked.

She turned around at the same time the Doctor did. There was steam pooling at the top of the dirt hole.

"Shouldn't think so," he said, releasing her hand and walking over to the hole. She followed him. "It's shifting when it shouldn't be shifting."

Shifting? And then she knew. The ground. She could feel it. Not a lot, but a bit. Moving under her feet.

"What shouldn't?" Nasreen demanded.

"It's the ground. It's shifting," Rose said.

The room began to shake, almost like an Earthquake. Not hard enough to knock everything down, but they could all feel it. Amy backed away from the hole.

"The ground, the soil, the earth, moving," the Doctor said, racing back over to the computer to look at the monitor again.

"How's it moving?" she asked.

"Earthquake?" Amy suggested.

"What's going on?" the man asked.

"Doubt it," the Doctor said as he crossed the room, "because it's only happening under this room."

The ground cracked and more holes opened. He grabbed Rose's hand, pulling her away from one of the holes.

"What's it doing?" she asked.

"It knows we're here. It's attacking. The ground's attacking us," he said.

"No, no that's not possible," Nasreen insisted.

"Under the circumstances, I'd suggest, run!" he shouted, running across the room with Rose.

They stopped by the door. Nasreen was right behind them. They all turned around. Amy was back at the other end of the room and so was the man. His leg was trapped in one of the holes.

"Tony!" Nasreen yelled.

Amy was just standing there looking at Tony and Rose could tell the girl wanted to help him.

"Stay back, Amy," the Doctor shouted. "Stay away from the earth."

Amy jumped over one of the holes to try to help Tony. She landed near him and grabbed his arm to pull him out, but at that moment the ground opened up under her feet. She screamed, slipping into the new hole.

"It's pulling me down," Amy yelled.

"Amy!" the Doctor yelled and then dropped Rose's hand and dashed back across the room. Rose ran after him.

"Help me. Something's got me," the girl said.

"Stay away from it. Rose, stay back!" he insisted as he dove for Amy.

"Doctor, the ground's got my legs."

He grabbed her hand, holding on and trying to pull her out.

"I've got you," he said.

"Okay," Amy replied, fearfully.

Rose grabbed the girl's other hand.

"Rose, I told you to stay back," he yelled.

"Yeah, I heard you." She caught Amy's gaze. "We've got you, Amy."

"Don't let go," the girl begged.

"Never," he said.

"What is it, and why is it doing this?"

"Stay calm. Keep hold of our hands. Don't let go. Your drill," He shouted over his shoulder, "shut it down. Go. Now!"

"Can you get me out?"

"Amy, try and stay calm. If you struggle, it'll make things worse."

Wait. What did he mean by that? She glanced at him and he caught her gaze and nodded, taking a firm hold on Amy's hand and arm. He wanted to pull her out. Rose took the same sort of hold on the girl's other arm and then she tried to pull at the same time the Doctor pulled.

"Just hold on. We're not going to let you go," she said.

He slipped first and the force of that made Rose slip. Amy screamed as the ground pulled her down further.

"It's pulling me down. Something's pulling me," the girl panicked.

He was up first, turning around and grabbing Amy's arm. The girl's other arm was buried and all Rose could do was crouch down next to them.

"Stay calm," he said. "Now, hold on till they can just shut down the drill."

"What's pulling her?" Rose asked.

"I can't hold on! What's pulling me? What is under the earth? I don't want to suffocate under there."

"Amy, concentrate. Don't you give up," he insisted.

"Tell Rory."

"No," he gasped from the strain of trying to keep her above the earth.

She slipped further down.

"No! Amy!" Rose shouted.

The girl's head inched under a blanket of soil.

"Amy, no!" the Doctor yelled. Then she was gone. He refused to give up, digging and clawing at the dirt. "No! No! No! No!" But she was gone. "NO!" he shouted. "No. No. No. No," he whispered in despair.

She wrapped her arms around him and held him, feeling despair in her own heart, but she knew he was blaming himself. She knew she couldn't stop him from doing that, but she could let him know he wasn't alone.

Nasreen and Tony raced back in the room. The Doctor pulled away and stood up, helping her to her feet.

"Where is she?" Nasreen asked.

"She's gone," Rose said.

"The ground took her," the Doctor replied.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	42. The Hungry Earth Part 2

Rose stood near the Doctor as he paced next to the hole. The one that claimed Amy. She held back the tears…barely, but she couldn't lose it. She had to be strong for him because he'd been close to losing it himself and if they were going to figure out what was going on, stop the ground from claiming anymore people, that couldn't happen.

"Is that what happened to Mo?" Tony asked, "Are they dead?"

She didn't want to think about that. About the fact that Amy might have been pulled under the Earth to suffocate just below the surface. She took a breath, trying to keep that thought from overwhelming her, from making her break.

"It's not quicksand," the Doctor said, catching her eye as if he could hear her thoughts. "She didn't just sink. Something pulled her in. It wanted her."

"The ground wanted her?" Nasreen asked.

"You said the ground was dormant," he replied, glancing at the woman. "Just a patch of earth when you first saw it this morning. And the drill had been stopped."

He paused, glancing back at Tony.

"That's right," the man said.

"But when you re-started the drill, the ground fought back," he said, glancing from Tony to Nasreen.

So, it was the drill causing the ground to fight back, but why? Was the drill actually injuring the ground, well, not the ground, but something in the ground? Something that was controlling the ground, making it fight back.

"It's the drill then," Rose mused.

He turned to her, smiling and she couldn't help grinning.

"So what? The ground wants to stop us drilling?" Nasreen asked. He pulled his sonic from his inside pocket and bent down, scanning the hole. "Doctor, that is ridiculous."

The ground rumbled beneath the sonic.

"I'm not saying that," he flipped the sonic up and looked at the readings, "and it's not ridiculous, I just don't think its right. Oh," he leaned the sonic against his forehead, closing his eyes and then opening them as if he just figured something out, "of course." He glanced at her. "It's bio-programming."

"What?" the woman asked.

Bio-programming. Of course! Now it made sense, though what is was doing there, didn't, but that could be addressed later. At least, they knew how it was happening. Only, bio-programming meant there was someone or something that did the programming.

"Like that planet where they were building those military bunkers?" Rose asked, catching his gaze as he slid his sonic back into his pocket.

"Exactly," he replied, giving her a smile. He stood up. "Bio-programming. Oh, it's clever." He began pacing again as he explained to Tony and Nasreen."You use bio-signals to resonate the internal molecular structure of natural objects. It's mainly used in engineering and construction, mostly jungle planets," he glanced at her, "like the one we visited, but that's way in the future. What's it doing here?"

"Sorry, did you just say jungle planets?" Nasreen asked in disbelief.

"You're not making any sense, man," Tony insisted.

He stopped, catching Tony's eye.

"Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." Rose giggled and he glanced at her, giving her a half smile before turning back to Tony. "The earth, the ground beneath our feet, was bio-programmed to attack."

"Yeah, even if that were possible, which, by the way, it's not, why?" the woman asked.

"To stop you from drilling," Rose said.

The Doctor glanced at her and they shared a smile.

"Okay," he said, "so we find whatever's doing the bio-programming, we can find Amy. We can get her back."

Wait. Get her back? So, she might still be alive. That was…there was a sound. Very low, easily missed, but it sounded like…almost like the drill, but not the drill. She glanced around the room.

"Shush, shush, shush," he said, putting his finger to his lips. "Have I gone mad? I've gone mad."

He must've heard the sound too. What the hell was it?

"I can hear it too," Rose said.

"Hear what?" Nasreen asked.

"Shush, shush. Silence. Absolute silence." He stepped over the hole and glanced from Nasreen to Tony and then back. "You've stopped the drill, right?"

"Yes," the woman replied.

"And you've only got the one drill?"

"Yes."

"You're sure about that?"

"Yes," Tony said.

The Doctor stepped back over the hole and laid down on the ground next to it, pressing his ear to the floor. Was it coming from the ground? She listened. Yeah, definitely and there was a sort of far off rumbling beneath her feet.

"So, if you shut the drill down, why can we still hear drilling?" he asked. "It's under the ground."

"That's not possible," Tony insisted.

He jumped up and raced over to the computers, pulling out his sonic and scanning the files. Rose hurried over, watching him. Nasreen raced over to stop him with Tony right behind.

"Oh no, what, what are you doing?" the woman demanded.

"Hacking into your records," he replied, sliding his sonic back into his pocket. "Probe reports, samples, sensors." He glanced from one computer to the other. "Good." He began typing, first on one and then the other. "Just unite the data, make it all one big conversation. Let's have a look." He stood up and pointed as he talked. "So, we are here and this is your drill hole. Twenty one point zero zero nine kilometers. Well done."

He glanced at Nasreen, smiling.

"Thank you," the woman replied. "It's taken us a long time."

"Why here, though? Why'd you drill on this site?" Rose asked.

It couldn't be a coincidence that they chose to drill in the one place where the ground had been bio-programmed to attack anyone drilling.

"We found patches of grass in this area," Nasreen said, glancing at her, "containing trace minerals unseen in this country for twenty million years."

"The blue grass? Oh, Nasreen." The Doctor smiled, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Those trace minerals weren't X marking the spot, saying dig here. They were a warning. Stay away. Because while you've been drilling down somebody else has been drilling up."

He glanced at the computer screen, as if something caught his eye.

"Drilling up?" Rose asked, turning her attention to the screen. "From where?"

"Oh, beautiful." The image changed. Instead of just the hole created by the drill other holes began to appear all around it. "See that, Rose?" He glanced at her and then back to the screen. "Network of tunnels all the way down."

A network of tunnels, probably created by whoever bio-programmed the ground. There were a fair amount of tunnels. What did that mean? And what were they for?

"No, no, we've surveyed that area," Tony insisted.

"You only saw what you went looking for," the Doctor replied.

Hang on. There were three glowing dots in one of the tunnels.

"Doctor, what are they?" Rose asked, pointing at the glowing dots.

"Heat signals," he replied and then glanced from one monitor to the other. "Wait, dual readings, hot and cold, doesn't make sense." The dots began moving up the tunnel. "And now they're moving. Fast."

So, whatever they were, they were coming up the tunnels. Coming toward them. Was that who took Amy? If it was, there was a possibility they weren't friendly. They might take more people. Rose glanced at Nasreen and Tony.

"How many people live nearby?" she asked.

"Just my daughter and her family," Tony replied. "The rest of the staff travel in."

"Grab this equipment and follow me," the Doctor instructed.

He took Rose's hand and began leading her across the room.

"Why?" Nasreen asked. "What're we doing?"

He stopped and turned back, stalking across the room toward them.

"That noise isn't a drill," he explained, "its transport. Three of them, thirty kilometers down." He walked back to the computer, releasing her hand. "Rate of speed looks about a hundred and fifty kilometers an hour. Should be here in ooo," he closed the first portable computer, "quite soon." He lifted his hands, calculating. "Twelve minutes." He picked up the computer, carrying it by its handle, like a suitcase. Then he took Rose's hand and walked toward the door. "Whatever bio-programmed the Earth is on its way up. Now."

He led her through the door and down the hall, quickly. He was in his thinking mode, trying to figure out what happened, how he could fix things, and how to save everyone.

"You think Amy's alive, then?" she asked.

"I believe so, yes," he replied.

Good. If he believed Amy was still alive that meant she probably was, he was good with things like that.

"And whoever, or whatever's coming up through those tunnels, that's what took her."

"Exactly."

If whoever took her was coming then they could talk to them or, if worse came to worse, make them give the girl back.

"We can get her back then," she replied.

He stopped and eyed her.

"No, no." He shook his head. "I can get her back."

Sorry? Him? When was he going to get it through his thick head that she wasn't some damsel in distress? They used to do these things together. Okay, granted he did try to make sure she was safe, but she wasn't the same girl she used to be. Two years at Torchwood trying to find a way back to him had changed her. Plus, she wasn't entirely human anymore. She put her hands on her hips and eyed him.

"Are we going to have this argument every time there's danger?" she snapped.

He leaned toward her and she could see the anger in his eyes. Anger that was covering the fear and the pain he felt over losing Amy.

"I have no idea what's down there, what I'll be walking into," he insisted.

"And that's exactly why you need me to come with you," she argued.

"Rose, I've already lost Amy." She folded her arms and eyed him.

"No, we lost Amy and I am not going to sit around and wait until you get her back. So, you might as well get that idea out of your head right quick like."

There was no way in hell she was letting him go down there alone.

He sighed.

"I'm not going to change your mind am I?" he asked.

"Nope."

"All right then," he said, "We go after her together."

"Together," she agreed.

He took her hand and she followed him out of the building.

**-0-**

They hurried down the dirt road toward the few houses that made up the small mining community. He wasn't happy about Rose's insistence on coming with him, but first they had to make it through this attack. Then he could worry about that.

It wasn't that he thought she was fragile, but with her changing and not being entirely human he wanted to be careful. He didn't want the accidentally speed up the process. It was already happening fast enough and that unsettled him.

When Rose was trying to help him save Amy, after the girl slipped beneath the surface. He felt something in that dark, empty place in his mind. Fear. At first he thought it was his own, but when Rose hugged him, he felt something else. Sort of a soothing, calming feeling and he knew it was her. She didn't know she was doing it yet and he planned on keeping it that way. For now. But she'd been reaching out and she shouldn't be able to do that, not that far, not yet.

"How can something be coming up when there's only the Earth's crust down there?" Tony asked.

"You saw the readings," the Doctor said, rounding a corner in the road.

"Who are you, anyway? How can you know all this?" Nasreen called from behind. "Whoa, did you see that?"

A red glow from above drew his attention. He stopped, pulling Rose to a halt along with him. Then he sat the portable computer down and examined the sky. This was really not good.

"Doctor," Rose asked, "What is that?"

Really, extremely not good.

"No, no, no," he said, racing up onto a small hill nearby as he pulled a slingshot from his inside pocket. He bent down and picked up a stone then flung it up at the sky using the slingshot. It sailed up and then struck an energy barricade before falling back to earth. They were trapped. He pulled out his sonic and scanned the sky above them. "Energy signal originating from under the Earth. We're trapped."

The sonic unmasked the dome long enough for the others to see it.

"Doctor," Rory said, hurrying towards them with a woman and a young boy following, "something weird's going on here, the graves are eating people."

"Not now, Rory," the Doctor insisted, still scanning the sky with his sonic. "Energy barricade, invisible to the naked eye." He dropped his arm and switched hands with his sonic before scanning the other side. "We can't get out and no one from the outside world can get it."

"What?" Rory asked in disbelief. "Okay, what about the TARDIS?"

"The what?" Nasreen asked.

"Uh, no," he dismissed. "Those energy patterns would play havoc with the circuits. With a bit of time, maybe," he glanced at his watch, "but we've only got nine and a half minutes."

"Nine and a half minutes to what?" Rory asked, glancing at his own watch.

"We're trapped, and something's making its way up from under the earth," Rose said.

Rory glanced around and then at the Doctor.

"Where's Amy?" the man asked.

Oh. He'd have to tell Rory about Amy, about what happened and they didn't have time for that. He needed to keep everyone safe, stop the attack, and then get Amy back.

"Get everyone inside the church," he insisted, picking the portable computer back up. "Rory, I'll get her back."

He walked toward the church, Rose trailed him beside Rory.

"_We'll_ get her back," Rose corrected.

He almost rolled his eyes, but stopped himself. She was trying to help. That's who she was. He couldn't hold that against her even if he thought putting herself in danger by insisting on coming with him to save Amy was the worst idea in the entire universe.

"What do you mean, get her back?" Rory asked. "Where's she gone?"

He heard Rory stop and then Rose.

"She was taken," she said.

The Doctor turned around.

"Into the Earth," he finished.

"How? Why didn't you stop it?" Rory asked, giving him an accusing glare.

The Doctor set the portable computer down and closed the distance between them.

"I tried. I promise. I tried," he insisted.

"Well, you should've tried harder!"

Rory was right. He should have. There should've been something he could've done to stop it, but now wasn't the time to get into that.

"He did, Rory, he really did," Rose said, resting her hand on Rory's arm. "We both did, but we couldn't stop it."

"We'll find Amy. We'll keep you all safe, I promise. Come on, please. I need you alongside me," he said and then turned around and started towards the church, picking the computer up on his way. "Come along, Rose."

**-0-**

Rose helped the Doctor set the computer up while everyone gathered in the church. She glanced at the boy. Elliot. Tony's grandson. And the woman in the pink coat was Ambrose. Elliot's mum and the wife of the man who'd been taken before Amy.

"So, we can't get out, we can't contact anyone, and something, the something that took my husband, is coming up through the Earth," Ambrose said in disbelief.

"Yes," the Doctor replied, walking across the room toward the woman. "If we move quickly enough, we can be ready."

"No, stop," Ambrose insisted, pointing her finger at him as he walked back toward Rose and the computer. "This has gone far enough. What is this?"

"He's telling the truth, love," Tony said, catching the woman's gaze.

"Come on. It's not the first time we've had no mobile or phone signals. Reception's always rubbish," Ambrose argued.

Rose stepped around the Doctor and crossed the room toward the woman. She could tell Ambrose was worried and scared and didn't want to believe what was going on. That could be dangerous because if she didn't believe then she wouldn't listen and she could put herself and everyone else in danger.

"You're husband wasn't the only one taken. Our friend was taken too and whatever's coming up, that's what took them. You need to listen to the Doctor if you don't want to lose anyone else," she insisted.

"Look, Ambrose," Nasreen said. "We saw their friend get taken, okay? You saw the lightning in the sky. I have seen the impossible today, and the only person who's made any sense of it for me, is the Doctor."

"Him?" Ambrose asked.

"Me," he said, standing up long enough to give her a smile and then returning to hooking up the computer cables.

"Can you get my dad back?" Elliot asked, craning his neck to look at the Doctor.

The Time Lord handed Rose the cable he was pulling across the room and caught the boy's gaze. She pulled it the rest of the way and hooked it up.

"Yes," he insisted. Then he turned to Ambrose and crossed the room toward her. "But I need you to trust us and do exactly as we say from this second onwards, because we're running out of time."

He eyed the woman.

"So tell us what to do," Ambrose whispered.

"Thank you." He glanced at his watch, backing up. "We have eight minutes to set up a line of defense. Bring me every phone, every camera, every piece of recording or transmitting equipment you can find."

He grabbed the other computer. Rose crossed the room to help him set it up.

**-0-**

The computers and the rest of the equipment were set up. Rory was outside putting the last cameras in place. The feed looping back to the computers. The dots on the computer screen were still heading toward the surface. They were very close.

"Ready?" the Doctor asked, stepping into the room and catching her gaze as he walked past.

"Always," she replied, grinning.

He smiled and then continued across the room.

"Right, guys, we need to be ready for whatever's coming up." He stopped in front of Elliot and sat his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I need a map of the village marking where the cameras are going."

Elliot followed him over to the computers.

"I can't do the words. I-I'm dyslexic," the boy admitted.

"Oh, that's all right," he said, crouching down and catching the boy's gaze. She couldn't help smiling at the way the Doctor interacted with Elliot and thinking about his family, the Doctor's family, who were lost, gone and how much that must've hurt him, must still hurt him. "I can't make a decent meringue. Draw like your life depends on it, Elliot."

The boy smiled, making her smile. She bent down next to Elliot.

"I can help you with that, if you want?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, giving her a smile.

She followed him out of the church and over to his house. She grabbed a sheet of paper from his dresser and he picked up some markers and she followed him back outside. Then they sat on the steps together and he started drawing the buildings and the roads, telling her the names and she filled those in. When they were finished Elliot handed it over.

"You take it to him," she said, handing it back.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"It's your map. I just added the names," she replied, ruffling his hair.

He smiled and they hurried back to the church together. The boy ran up to the Doctor, handing the map over. He took it, smiling.

"Look at that. Perfect," he said. "Dyslexia never stopped Da Vinci or Einstein. It's not stopping you."

"I told you it was good," Rose said, giving the boy a smile as the Doctor added some calculations into the computer, but she caught the way he glanced from her to the boy and then back with a strange look in his eyes. One she couldn't quite place.

"I don't understand what you're going to do," Elliot said.

"Two phase plan. First, the sensors and cameras will tell us when something arrives." He caught the boy's eye. "Second, if something does arrive," he pulled his sonic out and showed the boy, "I use this to send a sonic pulse through that network of devices. A pulse which would temporarily incapacitate most things in the universe."

He took Elliot's map and walked around behind the computers.

"Knock 'em out. Cool," the boy said.

"Very cool," Rose agreed, sharing a smile with the Doctor.

He used his sonic on the computer.

"Lovely place to grow up round here," Rose said, catching the boy's gaze. She knew he was worried about his dad and about whatever was coming. "I grew up in a city."

"I want to live in a city one day. Soon as I'm old enough, I'll be off," Elliot said.

"I was the same where I grew up," the Doctor replied, looking at the readings on his sonic.

"Did you get away?" the boy asked.

"Yeah," he said, gazing at the monitor.

"Do you ever miss it?"

He caught the boy's eye and she could see the pain and despair he usually kept buried. Just for a moment, but it was overwhelming.

"So much."

She walked around the table and put her hand on his arm. He glanced at her and there was something in his eyes. Surprise? Apprehension? Both, but she wasn't sure why and then just like that the pain and despair were gone, buried.

"Is it monsters coming?" Elliot asked. He looked at the boy and then walked around the table toward him. "Have you met monsters before?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"You scared of them?"

"No, they're scared of me."

She couldn't help smiling at that because it was true. A memory surfaced then. Words spoke by another woman who was also in love with the Doctor. _The monsters and the Doctor. It seems you cannot have one without the other. _It was as true now as it had been back then, but so was the rest of that. _The Doctor is worth the monsters. _

"Will you really get my dad back?" Elliot asked.

"No question," he replied.

"I left my headphones at home."

The boy turned and ran across the room. She raced after him, not wanting him to leave on his own. Whatever was coming would be there soon and she didn't want the boy to get caught out there alone.

"Hold up, Elliot," Rose said, hurrying to catch up. He stopped halfway to the door. "It's not safe for you to be out there right now, but I'll get your headphones, yeah? Why don't you see if your grandfather needs some help?"

"Okay," the boy agreed.

She opened the door, but he stopped her before she stepped out.

"If it's not safe then aren't you scared?"

"Nah, you think he fought all those monsters on his own?"

She gave Elliot a smile that he returned and then she stepped out and raced across the grass.

**-0-**

The Doctor walked through the graveyard, checking everything. Whoever or whatever was coming would be there very soon. He noticed Rory, setting one of the cameras up. The man stopped and gazed up at the sky, making the Doctor pause.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"It's getting darker," Rory said. He looked up, trying to figure out what the man was looking at. Patches of darkness appeared on the dome of energy that surrounded the area. "How can it be getting dark so quickly?"

"Shutting out the light from within the barricade. Trying to isolate us in the dark." The entire dome darkened. "Which means…" A loud rumble drew his attention. He caught Rory's eye. "It's here."

**-0-**

The sky grew dark as the boy's house came into view, which meant whatever was coming would be there soon. Rose put that thought out of her mind. It didn't matter. She couldn't do anything about that. All she could do was hope she made it back to the church in time.

She raced into the house and up to Elliot's room. She knew where it was because that's where they'd gotten the paper and markers. His headphones were sitting on his bed. She grabbed them and turned around, heading out the door and back down the stairs.

**-0-**

The Doctor raced back to the church with Rory right behind him. Ambrose was outside trying to open the large wooden door. The ground rumbled beneath his feet.

"I can't open it," she said, pushing on the door. "It keeps sticking. The wood's warped."

He tried the handle, pushing on the door with her. Then he glanced at Rory who was standing behind them.

"Any time you want to help," he said, eyeing the other man.

"Can't you sonic it?" Rory asked.

"It doesn't do wood."

"That is rubbish."

He spun around, facing Rory.

"Oi, don't diss the sonic," he snapped.

Rory joined them and together they forced the door open with their shoulders and then raced into the church.

"See if we can get a fix," he said, racing over to the computers.

The rumbling was getting worse. Boxes toppled from shelves and furniture, but he paid little attention to that as he tried to get a fix on the location. Suddenly the computer sparked. He jumped back. The light overhead exploded. The church grew dark. Everyone froze for a moment.

That wasn't an accident. He was sure of it. He raced around the computer and bent down, checking the wires. No. Nothing wrong there. It had been done on purpose to knock out their systems.

"No power," Tony said.

"It's deliberate," he replied, standing up and crossing the room.

"What do we do now?" Rory asked.

"Nothing," he snapped, pacing in irritation. "We've got nothing. They sent an energy surge to wreck our systems."

"Is everyone okay?" Rory asked, looking around the room. "Is anyone hurt?"

"I'm fine," Nasreen said.

"Okay, I'm okay," Tony replied.

"Me too," Ambrose said.

"And me. I'm okay," Elliot replied.

A louder rumbling emanated from the ground as it shook.

"Doctor, what was that?" Rory asked.

"It's like the holes at the drill station," Tony said.

The Doctor bent down, resting his cheek against the ground, listening.

"Is this how they happened?" Nasreen asked.

He could hear it, breaking through the Earth.

"It's coming through the final layer of Earth," he said.

"What is?" Nasreen asked.

He stood up and listened. Silence. Complete and total silence.

"The banging's stopped," Tony said.

"Where's Rose?" Rory asked.

The Doctor froze. What? He eyed the other man. Rory glanced around the room. The others were doing the same. Panic flooded through both his hearts. He glanced around the room.

"Rose?" he called. She didn't answer. She wasn't there. He eyed the others. "Did she come in?"

"No. I…I don't…" Rory stammered.

"She…went to get my headphones," Elliot said.

He eyed the boy. Headphones? Then he remembered. He'd been working on the computers and the boy said he wanted to get his headphones. That he left them at home. Then Rose ran after him. Of course she'd gone. She knew how dangerous getting caught outside would be. Damn! Why hadn't he paid attention!

"Your headphones? Where?" Rory asked.

"At my house. I was going to go get them, but she said she'd go instead," the boy replied.

He raced over to the door, trying to pull it open, but it was stuck.

"She's out there. On her own," he said, trying, unsuccessfully, to keep the panic at bay as he tugged and pulled on the door.

**-0-**

Rose raced through the graveyard clutching Elliot's headphones. The church was just ahead. If she could make it…movement to her right drew her attention, but she didn't stop. Whatever had been coming was there. In the graveyard with her. She ran up to the door and grabbed the handle, trying to push it open, but it was stuck. Locked? Maybe. She banged on the door.

"Doctor? Rory? I can't get in," she called.

"Rose?" the Doctor yelled from the other side of the door.

"Doctor? Is the door locked? Can you unlock it?" She heard a noise, but refused to turn around. "I think…I think there's something out here with me."

She heard the sound of the sonic and then he cursed. She was about to chastise him when that feeling of being watched grew. She heard movement behind her again, closer. Slowly, she turned around. There was something in the darkness. Something coming for her.

"Doctor," she called. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"Rose? Rose!" he yelled.

The creature stepped out of the darkness. Humanoid, wearing a mask and carrying some kind of weapon, a gun of some sort. Before she could say anything the creature fired the gun. Gas sprayed out and in the next moment her eyes were closing as she felt herself falling.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome...or pie...or both. :)**


	43. The Hungry Earth Part 3

"Doctor," Rose called from the other side of the door, "I'm…I'm sorry."

Whatever came up through the earth found her. The Doctor could hear that in her voice. She didn't sound afraid, but he could feel it, her fear, in that dark, empty place in his mind. It mingled with his own fear, but not just fear, panic, white, hot intense panic gripped his hearts. He pulled on the door handle with Rory helping. Another Gallifreyan curse escaped him.

"Pull!" he ordered.

Tony joined then and finally, finally the door opened. He rushed past everyone and onto the porch, but she was gone.

"Rose!" he shouted, knowing it was too late.

Panic turned to anger. Whatever came up had taken her. He wanted a word with that.

"It's my fault they got her," Elliot said.

He glanced at the boy. Elliot was holding his headphones, looking at them. The anger completely drained out of him at the sight of the boy. He opened his mouth to protest, but before he could the boy dashed off the porch and across the graveyard.

"Elliot!" Ambrose called, running after him.

It was still dark. Whatever came up, whatever took Rose, was still out there. None of them were safe.

"Ambrose!" Tony yelled, running after his daughter.

"Ambrose! Elliot! Don't go running off!" he yelled chasing after them.

He heard Rory following. Why did they always have to run off?

"Rose!" Elliot yelled to his right.

He turned, running toward the sound of the boy's voice.

"Elliot!" Ambrose called from his left.

He paused.

"Rory, we should-" he began.

Elliot!" she called again, cutting him off, now she was in front of him.

"Never mind," he continued and started running forward again.

Ambrose screamed and he quickened his pace.

"Dad!"

He caught sight of them. Ambrose and Tony. He raced toward them with Rory trailing.

"What happened?" he asked.

"My dad's hurt," Ambrose said.

He reached them, resting a hand on Tony's shoulder and pointing at the woman.

"Get him into the church now," he ordered.

It was dangerous. Too dangerous for all of them to be running around a dark graveyard when they were being attacked. Ambrose bent down and picked up the headphones she dropped when her dad was attacked. She brandished them at the Doctor.

"I found these, by the grave," she said, nearly panicked. "Elliot's gone. They've killed him, haven't they?"

He caught her gaze. Fear lanced through both his hearts over his own loss. They weren't dead. They couldn't be. He couldn't believe that because if he did…he pushed the thought aside.

He had to find out what was attacking them. He'd know then, would know what they were capable of, if they'd kill the people they took.

"I don't think so," he replied. "They've taken four people when they could've just killed them up here. There's still hope, Ambrose. There is always hope."

That's what she'd say, what Rose would say. She always had hope and he held onto that because that's all he had.

"Then why have they taken him?" she yelled.

"I don't know. I'll find Elliot, I promise. But, first I've got to stop this attack. Please, get inside the church."

She turned and walked over to Tony, helping him up.

"Come on, Dad," she said as they walked back to the church.

"So what now?" Rory asked.

The Doctor turned and gazed around the area. He had to find out what they were, who was attacking them. It was the only way he'd know for sure.

**-0-**

His plan was to capture one of them. Find out who and, or, what they were and hopefully get everyone back. Rory was in the back of the van, out of sight for now. He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a pair of infrared sunglasses then slid them on.

He walked past the houses and into the line of trees. He could hear breathing and slowed down, gazing into the tree line. He could see movement, but no heat signature. Which meant, he knew exactly who they were. He smiled, sliding the sunglasses down the bridge of his nose. This was good. Really, very good.

"Cold blood," he said. "I know who they are."

He turned around and walked back to the van. He knew exactly how to capture one and that's what he intended to do. Knowing who they were helped him devise a way to get the people back. They'd trade for one of their own. Not something he usually did, but in this case he didn't have much of a choice.

He opened the side door and grabbed the fire extinguisher. As soon as he closed the door he saw one of them, running toward him. He waited and then sidestepped as the creature drew near. Then he sprayed the fire extinguisher, incapacitating the creature. Rory jumped from the back of the van and together they forced the creature into the back and closed the doors.

"We got it," Rory said, a bit surprised.

He smiled.

"Defending the planet with meals on wheels," he said.

Rory lifted his arm for a high-five, then a rumbling stopped them.

"What was that?"

The creature began to beat on the back of the van, yelling. He glanced around, listening. It sounded like their transport leaving.

"Sounds like they're leaving."

"Without this one?" Rory asked, indicating the van. The energy dome began to lighten, returning the area to mid-day instead of night. "Looks like we scared them off."

That's not what happened. They came there to assess the situation, which they'd done, now they were leaving.

"I don't think so," he replied. "Now, both sides have hostages."

**-0-**

The Doctor walked around to the back of the church. Rory stood outside the door to the basement where they were keeping the creature. He glanced at Rory as he hurried around the corner.

"So, I think I've met these creatures before," he said. "Different branch of the species, mind, but all the same," he opened the basement door and stepped inside with Rory right behind him, "let's see if our friend's thawed out."

"Are you sure? By yourself?" Rory asked as he paused at the top of the stairs.

"Very sure."

He gazed down at the creature, taking in all the details. Female. Silurian. She was bound, a rope kept her from going very far.

"But the sting?" Rory asked.

"Venom gland takes at least twenty-four hours to recharge. Am I right?" he called down to the creature. She didn't answer. He caught Rory's eye. "I know what I'm doing." He clapped his hand on the man's shoulder, reassuringly. "I'll be fine." Rory glanced at the creature and then turned and walked back out the door, closing it behind him. He walked down the steps and drew closer. The creature moved, toward him, cautiously, staying close to the ground. "I'm the Doctor. I've come to talk." He kept his hands up so the creature would know he wasn't hiding anything as he drew closer. "I'm going to remove your mask." He crouched down in front of her and reached out, slowly, removing her mask. He smiled. He was right about what she was. Homo Reptilia. "You are beautiful. Remnant of a bygone age on planet Earth. And by the way, lovely mode of travel. Geothermal currents projecting you up through a network of tunnels. Gorgeous. Mind if I sit?" He stood up and crossed the room. "Now." He picked up a folding chair and turned around, walking back over in front of her. "Your people have a couple friends of mine." He put the chair down and sat in it. Then he leaned back and crossed his legs. "I want them back. Why did you come to the surface? What do you want?" She stared at him without answering. "Oh, I do hate a monologue. Give us a bit back. How many are you?"

"I'm the last of my species," she replied.

That wasn't true. He knew there were more.

"Really? No. Last of the species. The Klempari Defense. As an interrogation defense, it's a bit old hat, I'm afraid."

"I'm the last of my species," she insisted.

This was getting him nowhere. She was lying. He knew she was, even if he hadn't heard the others leave he'd know she wasn't telling the truth because he knew what it was like to be the last of one's species.

"No. you're really not. Because I'm the last of my species and I know how it sits in a heart. So don't insult me," he snapped, eyeing her. She sat up a bit, as if she realized she'd made a mistake. "Let's start again. Tell me your name."

"Alaya."

"How long has your tribe been sleeping under the Earth, Alaya?" She gave him a surprised look. "It's not difficult to work out. You're about three hundred million years out of your comfort zone. Question is, what woke you now?"

"We were attacked."

Attacked? How were they…Oh. They thought the drill was an attack.

"The drill," he said.

"Our sensors detected a threat to our life support systems. The warrior class was activated to prevent the assault. We will wipe the vermin from the surface and reclaim our planet," she insisted.

"Do we have to say vermin? They're really very nice."

"Primitive apes."

She was there to fight them. The humans, but he wasn't about to let that happen. They didn't need to fight. It was a misunderstanding. One that he could easily clear up.

"Extraordinary species. You attack them, they'll fight back. But, there's a peace to be brokered here. I can help you with that," he said.

"This land is ours," she insisted. "We lived here long before the apes."

It was theirs, but they'd been underground for millions of years.

"Doesn't give you automatic rights to it now, I'm afraid. Humans won't give up the planet," he said.

"So we destroy them."

"You underestimate them."

"You underestimate us."

She was part of a tribe, but they had no idea how many humans there were.

"One tribe of Homo Reptilia against six billion humans? You've got your work cut out."

She stood up and faced him, defiantly.

"We did not initiate combat, but we can still win."

She was a warrior and what she wanted was a fight, a battle. He couldn't talk her out of that, but there were others he could talk to after he got Amy, Rose, Elliot, and Elliot's father back. He eyed her.

"Tell me where my friends are," he ordered. "Give us back the people who were taken."

"No," she replied with a snide quirk to her lips.

He held her gaze. She wasn't going to help. He sighed and then stood up.

"I'm not going to let you provoke a war, Alaya." He picked up the folding chair and walked back to the other end of the room, setting the chair against the wall. Then he walked back across the room. "There'll be no battle here today."

"The fire of war is already lit. A massacre is due."

He paused, turning around and caught her gaze.

"Not while I'm here," he insisted.

"I'll gladly die for my cause. What will you sacrifice for yours?" she snapped.

They had the woman he loved. He knew exactly what he would sacrifice. Everything. He turned around and headed up the stairs.

**-0-**

After explaining to everyone who and what Alaya was and her part in his plan to get the others back he headed to his TARDIS to go down under the Earth to the Silurian settlement. He would off an exchange. Alaya for the people they took.

He was almost to the TARDIS when Nasreen came running up behind him. He was fairly sure he knew what she wanted, but he couldn't let her come with him. He ran to the door.

"No," he insisted. "Sorry, no. What are you doing?"

He turned around and looked at her.

"Coming with you, of course," she said, and then touched the side of the TARDIS. "What is it? Some kind of transport pod?"

"Sort of, but you're not," He heard someone walk towards them and he glanced in that direction. Tony joined them, "coming with me."

"He's right. You're not," Tony said.

"I have spent all my life excavating the layers of this planet, and now you want me to stand back while you head down into it? I don't think so," Nasreen insisted.

He glanced at his watch. There wasn't much time and arguing was eating up more than he had.

"I don't have time to argue," he said.

"I thought we were in a rush," she said.

"It'll be dangerous," he replied, hoping to put her off.

She shrugged.

"Oh, so's crossing the road."

He didn't want to put anyone else in danger, but he didn't have time to stand there squabbling with her.

"Oh, for goodness sake." He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out his key. "All right, then." He glanced from her to Tony and then unlocked the door. "Come on."

He stepped inside and raced up to the console. He pulled down the monitor and looked at the screen. He heard her step inside.

"Welcome aboard the TARDIS," he said, flipping a lever. "Now, don't touch anything. Very precious."

"No way," she exclaimed, gazing around as she crossed the room toward him. "But, but that's…this is," she reached the console and slapped his arm softly, "fantastic." He smiled. "What does it do?"

"Everything. I'm hoping, if we're going down, that barricade won't," the TARDIS pitched sideways, he grabbed onto the console to keep from falling, "interfere." He glanced at her. "Did you touch something?"

"No. Isn't this what it does?"

Yes, but he hadn't done anything yet so she shouldn't be moving.

"I'm not doing anything." He pulled himself around the console. "We've been hijacked. I can't stop it." He slipped and landed in the jump seat. "They must've sensed the electromagnetic field." He pulled himself back up to the console and maneuvered around to the monitor, grabbing onto the bar under the screen. "They're pulling the TARDIS down into the Earth."

He held onto the console as the TARDIS was pulled into the Earth. There wasn't anything he could do to stop it. Nasreen held on next to him and a moment later it stopped. He fell to the floor beside her.

"Where are we?" she asked.

He jumped to his feet and raced over to the door. She followed him. He opened one of the doors and held his hand out for a moment. No dirt falling, temperature seemed to be all right, no one fired at him. He stepped out and looked around. Cave. Underground. He whistled. It echoed and echoed and echoed. Very far underground.

"Looks like we fell through the bottom of their tunnel system," he said, glancing up above the TARDIS. "Don't suppose it was designed for handling something like this."

"How far down are we?" she asked.

"Oh," he gazed around the cave, "a lot more than twenty one kilometers."

"So why aren't we burning alive?"

Oh. Good question. They were fairly close to the center of the Earth. They should be burning or, at least, it should be a lot hotter than it was.

"Don't know. Interesting, isn't it?" he asked.

She laughed and shook her head as he turned around and walked toward one of the tunnels.

"It's like this is everyday to you," she said.

He paused and turned around.

"Not every day," he replied. "Every other day."

She smiled, then he turned around and headed down the tunnel. He had to find that settlement and talk to whoever was in charge about that exchange and explain the situation. The misunderstanding. The sooner the better.

**-0-**

Rose woke up strapped to a nearly vertical examination table. She glanced around the small room. There was a larger room through the open doorway. Amy was next to her strapped to another table. The girl's eyes were closed. Asleep? She hoped so because if anything happened to Amy she'd never forgive herself. She pulled at the clamps holding her, trying to get her hands out.

"Don't struggle," a man said.

She looked over. There was a man on the other side of Amy behind a glass wall. He was also strapped to a table, but his shirt was open and there was a long scar that ran from his chest to the bottom of his stomach.

"What do mean, don't struggle?" she asked.

Amy shifted, moaned, and then opened her eyes.

"Don't struggle," the man repeated, but this time he was looking at Amy. "Close your eyes and don't struggle."

Close her eyes? What the hell was he talking about?

"What? Where am I?" Amy demanded. "Why can't I move my body?"

"Amy?" she asked.

Amy turned her head.

"Rose? What are you doing here?"

The girl was nearly panicked and that wouldn't do any good. They needed to keep their heads, both of them, if they were going to get out of this.

"Got caught after lights out," she joked, giving Amy a smile, but the girl was too scared to return it.

Amy glanced around the room.

"Where are we? What is this place?" the girl asked.

"Decontamination, they call it," the man said. "They did it to me while I was conscious."

"Okay, you're freaking me out now," Amy said.

"What did they do?" Rose asked, leaning as far as she could to get a better look at him.

"Dissected me," he said, glancing down at his scar.

Rose's eyes widened. They dissected him? And they did it while he was awake? She felt herself start to panic. She closed her eyes and took a breath. Okay, okay, he survived. He was alive. Somehow, that didn't make her feel any better.

"No," Amy whispered, shaking her head.

Rose pushed her own fear aside. She had to get Amy out of there, had to keep the girl safe. Only, she wasn't sure how she was going to do that.

"Amy," she said, drawing the girl's attention. "That's not going to happen. I won't let that happen to you."

Footsteps drew Rose's attention.

"He's coming. I'm sorry. I wish I could help you both," he said.

Amy's eyes grew bigger as the footsteps approached. One of those humanoid creatures entered the room, he wore white doctor type clothes and a surgical mask. He held some kind of scalpel as he advanced on Amy. The girl struggled, but she was held fast by the restraints.

Fear raced through Rose as she watched him draw closer to the girl. There had to be something she could do. Some way to stop him.

"Hey, leave her alone," Rose insisted. He didn't even look at her. She had to get him to listen. He had to listen to her. "Look, you don't have to do this." He paused. Was he listening? "You only need one of us, yeah?" He turned his head, looking at her. "I mean, we're both the same species, right? I'm just as good as she is."

He stepped away from Amy and crossed the small room toward her.

"Rose, no," the girl insisted.

"Oh, come on, Amy," she said, trying to mask her fear as the creature advanced on her with the scalpel, "you always get to have all the fun. Let someone else have a go."

**-0-**

The Doctor continued down the tunnel with Nasreen. They hadn't found the settlement yet, but it couldn't be too far.

"We're looking for a small tribal settlement probably housing around a dozen Homo Reptilia? Maybe less."

He paused, realizing Nasreen wasn't beside him anymore. He turned around.

"One small tribe?" she asked, from a side chamber.

He reached the chamber and stepped inside, walking towards her.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Maybe a dozen?"

He reached her and caught sight of what she was looking at. Not a small tribe, not a dozen. The vast chamber was filled with buildings. There weren't just a few of them. Thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, maybe more. He walked over to the rail, standing next to her.

"Ah." He glanced at her and shrugged. "Maybe more than a dozen. Maybe more like an entire civilization living beneath the Earth."

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome...I'm good on pie for now. :)**


	44. Cold Blood Part 1

The Doctor walked down the bridge-like road beside Nasreen. Lava flowed far down below them. He gazed around at the buildings. There were far more Silurians than he ever expected living down there.

"This place is enormous and deserted," he commented. "The majority of the race are probably still asleep. We need to find Rose and Amy." He paused, pulling out his sonic and scanned the area. Then looked at the readings. "Looking for heat signature anomalies."

Nothing. He continued into a tunnel.

"But Doctor," Nasreen asked, "how can all this be here? I mean, these plants."

He started down the tunnel, walking around a corner with Nasreen trailing.

"Must be getting closer to the centre of the city," he said.

A door! Yes! A door met they were getting close.

"You're sure this is the best way to enter?" she asked.

"Front door approach," he said. "Definitely. Always the best way."

An alarm sounded, stopping both of them in their tracks. Um…okay, he might be wrong about that.

"Hostile life forms detected area seventeen," a computerized voice called.

Really, extremely wrong.

"Apart from the back door approach. That's also good," he replied, turning around. "Sometimes better."

He started back.

"Hostile life forms detected area seventeen," the computerized voice called again.

"Doctor," Nasreen said and something in her voice made him turn back.

"Hostile life forms detected area seventeen."

The door behind him was open and a group of armed Silurians raced into the tunnel corridor. They aimed their weapons at him and Nasreen. More armed Silurians poured through the other entrance. Really, really, extremely wrong.

"We're not hostile," he insisted, putting his hands up. "We're not armed. We're here in peace."

Nasreen put her hands up as well. One of the Silurians aimed a gun at him and fired. Gas poured out of the nozzle. He coughed and in the next moment his eyes closed and he felt himself falling.

**-0-**

The lizard man Doctor, though she was sure there was a better name for him, stepped closer. She struggled, but knew it was a battle she'd already lost. There wasn't anything she could do.

"Don't you go near her with that," Amy insisted.

He pulled his mask down and pushed a button on an electronic device hanging near her. Then he eyed her.

"From the clothing," he said, "the human females appear to be more resistant to the cold than the males."

"We dressed for Rio!" Amy yelled and Rose would've laughed if she wasn't eyeing that scalpel he was holding.

The device he turned on was some kind of recorder. She glanced from it to him and then her eyes were drawn back to the scalpel he held. She tried to keep her heart steady, but it was trying to fight its way out of her chest.

"Leave her alone," the man yelled. "You've got me."

The lizard man pulled a small, handheld device from his pocket and pressed a button. Rose let out a startled sound as her wrist clamps tightened. She wanted to struggle, but she knew there was really no point. He spoke English, at least that's what she was hearing and, unless the TARDIS was translating from above ground that had to be the case. Maybe she could reason with him.

"You don't have to do this, yeah?" she said, catching his gaze.

"Decontamination complete," he replied, eyeing her as he slid the device back into his pocket. "Commencing dissection."

He turned the scalpel on and it sounded a bit like a small drill, which did nothing but increase her already rapid heartbeat. He leaned toward her, pointing the scalpel at her chest.

"Rose!" Amy yelled.

"Area Seventeen incursion," a computerized voice called. He paused, looking up. "Species diagnostic requested." He pulled the scalpel back, then he turned and ran out of the room. "Area Seventeen incursion. Species diagnostic requested."

"Yeah. And stay out," Amy called. Rose couldn't help laughing. Amy turned to her. "Rose, are you all right?"

"Yeah," she replied. "He didn't have a chance to do anything, but we have to get out of here before he gets back."

"There's no way out," the man said.

There had to be a way out. There was always a way out. If she could just…she pulled at the clamps…get her hands out.

"Struggling won't help," he insisted.

He was really starting to irritate her. She pulled at the clamps again. It wasn't just him. It was the Doctor too. Trying to make her stay behind because he thought something might happen to her. She pulled harder. As if she couldn't take care of herself. As if she hadn't spent two years trapped on a parallel world, working at Torchwood, trying to find a way back to him, but not just that, actually working for them. Going out on missions on her own. The more she thought about it the more irritated she became then irritation turned to anger because now, there she was, strapped to some medical table and it was almost as if she could see that _I knew this would happen _look on his face.

"Rose?" Amy asked, hesitantly.

"What?" she snapped and then the clamps on her wrists and ankles popped open. Not just hers, but the ones binding Amy and that bloke as well.

Free! She was free. They were all free.

"Did someone let us out?" Amy asked.

"I don't know," she said.

"Who cares, let's get out of here," the man said.

She wasn't sure how they opened, but she wasn't going to argue it. She stepped off the table and almost collapsed. Her legs were weak. Her whole body felt weak. As if she'd just run a marathon.

"Hey," Amy said, racing over to help her. The girl put an arm around her waist to steady her. "Are you all right? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I feel…tired, or something," she replied, leaning on the table.

Her head felt a bit fuzzy too.

"Okay, well, let's get out of here."

They needed to get out of there. Amy and that bloke. She'd only hold them up. She wasn't sure what happened, why she felt so drained, but if she went with them she'd slow them down.

"No, you two go," she said, letting go of the table and standing up with every ounce of strength she had left.

"I'm not leaving you here," Amy insisted.

"Amy, I'll be fine. I just need to rest a minute."

"I'm not an idiot. I know you're lying."

She couldn't help smiling. Amy was quick, but she couldn't let the girl stay there and she wasn't going to be the reason they didn't make it out of that place. She couldn't keep Amy from being taken, but she wasn't going to be the one who kept her from being found, saved.

"Okay, you're right. I'm not sure what's going on, but if we're going to make it out of here you two need to go. Find the Doctor and then come back for me, yeah?" Amy hesitated. "Amy, please, just find him and bring him back here. I'll be fine. Really."

She gave the girl a smile. Amy still wasn't buying it, but she nodded and then ran out of the room with the bloke following.

**-0-**

Amy walked through the tunnels with the man, Moe, that was his name. His wife and son were back up top along with his father, who turned out to be the man she tried to save when she was sucked down into the Earth. She wanted to hurry, to run, to get back to the Doctor and bring him down there to save Rose, but she knew she had to be careful. Had to make it out of there first.

"That creature, do you think it was an alien?" Moe asked. "Any more of them, do you think? Do you think the Earth's been invaded?"

She came to a large door. She pressed a button and the door slid open, then she stepped through into a new tunnel. At least, she thought it was a tunnel, but with doors maybe it was a tunnel-like corridor.

"Don't know. But I know someone who could have some answers and that's the someone we need to find. First, we need to get back to the surface and find him." She stopped in front of a side door. A way out? Maybe. "I wonder where this leads."

"Maybe it's a way out of here," Moe said, turning around and walking back towards her. She pressed a large button outside the door. The computerized image of a child appeared on the screen. What the hell? Moe looked through the window in the door. "Oh, my God. No."

The sound of his voice frightened her. There was something in that room. Something really bad. He tried to open the door, but it seemed to be locked.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's my son." His son…what? "It's Elliot. What've they done to him?" She hurried over and looked through the window. A young boy was standing in the middle of the room. There were wires attached to him. She tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "He's in there. We have to get him out. Elliot? Elliot, it's Dad."

She heard him trying to use the computer monitor to open the door.

"Access denied. Unauthorized genetic imprint," a computerized voice said.

He was trying to force it to let his son out and with all those wires…that was dangerous. She spun around and eyed him.

"Stop," she ordered. He turned to her and she could see the panic on his face. She grabbed his arms, catching his gaze. "Seriously, we can't get in."

"That's my boy in there."

"These screens, they're monitoring something. I think they're vital signs. Heartbeats, pulses. Why else would he be wired up? He's still alive."

That got through to him. He was still a bit panicked, but he understood he couldn't open that door himself.

"All right," he conceded. "We find weapons, get that creature from the lab and force it to release Elliot, yeah?"

"Yeah," she agreed, not entirely sure if they could pull that off, but she couldn't let him panic like that again. "Trust me. We'll get him out."

**-0-**

The Doctor screamed. His entire body felt like it was burning. He couldn't move, strapped down to a medical table as one of the Silurian scanned him, but not just scanning. Scanning wouldn't feel like this. He screamed again.

"How can they have escaped?" one of the Silurians asked. "This proves all prisoners should remain under military guard."

"I'm sure you'd prefer to be in charge of everything and everyone, Restac," the Silurian working the machine replied, "but we rank the same. Is there any word from Alaya?"

He struggled in the restraints. He had to get them to stop. He screamed.

"No."

"It's fine to show concern, you know. She's part of your gene-chain. I'm decontaminating now."

Decontamination? That was bad. Really, extremely not good.

"Decontamination? No, no, no!" He screamed louder. "No!" The burning sensation ripped through his body. "No!" He screamed.

"It's all right, it won't harm you. I'm only neutralizing all your ape bacteria," the male Silurian said.

"I'm not an ape," he yelled, struggling through the pain. "Look at the scans. Two hearts. Totally different. Totally not ape! Remove all human germs, you remove half the things keeping me alive."

He screamed as the sensation of fire ripped through him. The Silurian turned the machine off. The pain receded and then was gone, but he felt weak. He sighed and then took a breath. He needed to replace the bacteria that the machine neutralized.

"No, complete the process," the female insisted.

"Oh, that's much better, thanks," he said. "Not got any celery, have you? No. No, not really the climate. Tomatoes, though. You'd do a roaring trade in those. I'm the Doctor." He glanced to his left as the male Silurian stepped into the small glass room next to his. "Oh, and there's Nasreen. Good."

He used some kind of a tool to wake her. Nasreen opened her eyes and looked at the Silurian.

"Oh, a green man," she said.

He glanced to his right and froze. Rose! She was in the room next to his, attached to a medical table like him and Nasreen, but her eyes were closed. Unconscious like Nasreen had been. She was there though, he found her, now he had to find Amy and get them all out of there. He looked at the female Silurian who stood in front of him.

"Hello," he said. "Who are you?"

"Restac," the female replied. "Military commander."

Military. Why was there always a military? He wanted to find someone in charge. He hoped it wasn't the military.

"Oh dear, really? There's always a military, isn't there?" he asked.

"Your weapon was attacking the oxygen pockets above our city," the male explained.

"Oxygen pockets, lovely. Oh. But not so good with an impending drill. Now it makes sense."

They attacked the humans because they thought the humans were attacking them. If that drill broke through the oxygen pockets all the Silurians would die.

"Where is the rest of your invasion force?" Restac demanded, stepping closer to him.

"Invasion force?" he asked. "Me and the lovely Nasreen? No. We came for the humans you took. And to offer the safe return of Alaya." Restac and Alaya shared similarities. Too many to be a coincidence. "Oh, wait, you and she, what is it? Same genetic source? Of course you're worried, but don't be, she's safe."

"You claim to come in peace," she said, turning around and walking back out the door, "but you hold one of us hostage." She gestured and armed Silurians entered the room he was in as well as the room Nasreen occupied. Restac eyed the male. "Wake the female, Malohkeh."

"She's under my care-" Malohkeh protested.

Restac, faced him, glaring.

"Wake her now!" she ordered.

He picked up the tool he used on Nasreen and entered the room Rose was in. The Doctor glanced from Malohkeh to Restac.

"Wait, wait," he insisted, "we all want the same thing here."

"I don't negotiate with apes," Restac replied, disdainfully. "I'm going to send a clear message to those on the surface."

"What's that?" he asked.

She eyed him.

"Your execution."

"Yes."

Of course. There was always a military and there was always someone who wanted to execute him or one of his companions, but usually him.

**-0-**

Amy entered another tunnel-like corridor filled with chambers. What were they? She and Moe had passed dozens of them, maybe more.

"These chambers are all over the city," she said.

She looked in them. There were vague silhouettes. She reached over and pressed a button. The chambers flooded with light. Those creatures stood inside. One per chamber. Moe gasped and stepped back.

"Turn it off, quick," he insisted. She reached over and turned the light off. "They're not moving."

"Maybe they're asleep. Let's have another look."

She reached over and turned the light back on.

"No, Amy, don't. DON'T." The doors slid up on two of the chambers. They were breathing, but they weren't moving. Sleeping? She stepped toward the closest chamber. "Amy, what are you doing?" She stepped inside, walking around the creature. "Get out of there."

"Some sort of suspended animation," she said, glancing at Moe. The creature was standing on some sort of metal disc. She bent down, examining it. "I wonder what these are? The Doctor would know. The Doctor always knows."

Only, he wasn't there.

"Hey, look," Moe said, glancing up.

She followed his gaze. There were tunnels leading up. To the surface? Yes, that must be it.

"Wait," she said. "I've got it." She stood up. "It's how they came up to the surface. Some sort of powered transport discs. It's our way out of here."

"Even better. Weapons." He nodded at one the creature in front of her held as he reached for the one in front of him. "Come on, now we can fight back." She took the gun from the creature. Then she backed out of the chamber, closed the doors and turned the light off. "Which way now?" he asked.

"Door at the end," she replied walked towards the door as she held the gun out in front of her.

"Are you sure?" he inquired.

Sure? Of course she wasn't sure. It wasn't like she walked around these tunnels before.

"Nope."

The doors slid open and she stepped out on a balcony overlooking a vast chamber filled with those creatures, all sleeping, but there were thousands upon thousands of them.

"Wow," he said.

"Yeah," she replied.

"We don't stand a chance."

"We have to find the Doctor."

There were too many, far too many to fight. If they all woke up none of them stood a chance. The Doctor was the only one who had any kind of a chance of rescuing Rose and the boy.

**-0-**

Rose walked beside the Doctor with her hand in his as they were led through the tunnels by those lizard creatures. She wasn't sure if Amy told him where she was or if he'd come on his own, but she was glad he was there.

"Are you all right?" he asked, leaning down as they walked.

"Yeah. Fine," she said, taking his arm and giving him a smile. "Just a bit tired, that's all." He gave her a worried look, but she nodded to the creatures around them. "So, lizard people?"

They passed through a door and entered a tropical area filled with plants.

"Silurians. These must be the only ones awake. The others must still be in hibernation."

"So, why did they go into hibernation in the first place?" Nasreen asked.

"Their astronomers predicted a planet heading to Earth on a crash course," he explained. "They built a life underground and put themselves to sleep for millennia in order to avert what they thought was the apocalypse, when in reality it was the moon coming into alignment with the Earth."

The creature in front of them, Restac, that was her name, turned around and eyed him.

"How can you know that?" Malohkeh, the only male she'd seen so far, asked.

"Long time ago," he explained. "I met another tribe of Homo Reptilia. Similar, but not identical."

"Others of our species have survived?" Restac asked.

A look of despair crossed his features.

"The humans attacked them. They died. I'm sorry."

"A vermin race," she snapped and then turned around and began leading them farther down the path.

Rose wasn't sure what Restac planned on doing with them, but whatever it was she knew it wasn't good. Military. Why was there always a military?

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	45. Cold Blood Part 2

Rose walked next to the Doctor with her hands cuffed behind her back like his and Nasreen's. The Silurians led them through a doorway and into a large room with benches on the walls, tables in the middle and pillars along the sides. It looked like some kind of court or council room.

"You're not authorized to do this," Malohkeh insisted as he trailed Restac.

"I am authorized to protect the safety of our species while they sleep," the female Silurian replied.

"Oh, lovely place. Very gleaming," the Doctor said, looking around.

He caught her eye and smiled, making her grin. Restac walked around one of the large tables and faced him from the other side.

"This is our court and our place of execution," the female Silurian said.

Amy walked out of a side room, pointing a gun at Restac.

"Let them go," the girl demanded.

"Amy!" Rose exclaimed and couldn't help smiling.

The girl was all right and more than that she'd found a weapon and came back to save them. When this was all over she'd take Amy to a beach even if she had to take the girl to one herself.

"Amy Pond," the Doctor said and then glanced at Rose, smiling. "There's a girl to rely on."

Amy glanced from her to the Doctor.

"You're covered both ways," she turned her gaze on Restac, "so don't try anything clever, buster."

Nasreen turned around. Rose glanced in that direction. The man who'd been strapped to a medical table in that room with her and Amy stood behind them, holding another gun.

"Mo," the woman exclaimed.

"Now let them go, or I shoot," Amy demanded. Restac stepped toward her. "I'm warning you," but her voice betrayed her.

Restac reached out, grabbed the gun, and shoved Amy to the floor. Rose took a step forward, but stopped as another Silurian raised her weapon, warningly.

"Don't you touch her!" the Doctor commanded.

The female Silurian pointed the gun at Mo.

"And you," Restac demanded.

Malohkeh put his arms up, trying to calm the situation before it got out of hand.

"All right, Restac," the male Silurian said, "you've made your point."

Restac lowered her gun and crossed the room toward Malohkeh. She faced him.

"This is now a military tribunal. Go back to your laboratory, Malohkeh," Restac instructed.

One of the soldiers prodded the male Silurian from behind. He made a hissing sound, then Restac hissed at him. It seemed to be some sort of a play for dominance and, of course, Restac won. Malohkeh glanced at them and then back to the female.

"This isn't the way," the male insisted.

The female eyed him for a moment and then he turned and walked back out the door.

"Prepare them for execution," Restac ordered.

Wait. Execution? Two of the Silurians grabbed Amy and cuffed her hands. Rose had no choice, but to watch as they drug her over to one of the pillars and chained her to a metal ring. Then Mo next to her, Nasreen on the other side, the Doctor to the pillar next to theirs and Rose next to him.

"Okay, sorry," Amy apologized. "As rescues go, didn't live up to its potential."

"I'm glad you're okay," the Doctor said.

"Me too," Rose agreed.

Amy looked her over and then caught her gaze.

"Are you feeling better?" the girl asked.

The Doctor glanced at her.

"Feeling better?" he asked and then looked at Amy. She could see worry in his eyes and with what was going on they really didn't need distractions like that. "What do you mean, feeling better? What happened?"

Rose gave Amy a _not the right time for this _look and then glanced at the Doctor.

"Nothing," she insisted. "I'm fine. I was just tired, that's all."

"Oh. Yeah. Tired," Amy said and then caught the Doctor's gaze. "She was just a bit tired." He glanced from Amy to Rose and then back, not buying what they were selling. Amy nodded toward the creatures. "So…um…lizard men?"

He still didn't seem convinced, but Rose knew he wouldn't be able to help answering.

"Homo Reptilia," he replied. "They occupied the planet before humans. Now they want it back."

"After they've wiped out the human race," Nasreen said.

"Right," Amy replied. "Preferred it when I didn't know, to be honest."

"Why are they waiting?" Mo asked. "What do you think they're going to do with us?"

The soldiers lined up in front of them, aiming their weapons at each of them. She had a good idea what they were going to do, but voicing it wouldn't help. She glanced at the Doctor, but he was staring at the Silurians. There had to be a way out of this. They couldn't just stand there and wait to be executed.

Restac walked over to a console and began working it. A holographic screen appeared and a moment later Rory, Ambrose, and Tony appeared, standing together. Ambrose turned to the screen and gasped. The others turned as well.

"Who is the ape leader?" Restac asked.

They huddled together, talking for a moment.

"Who speaks for the apes?" Restac demanded.

Rory stepped forward, slowly.

"I speak for the humans," he reluctantly replied. "Some of us, anyway."

"Do you understand who we are?"

"Sort of." Rory nodded. "A bit. Not really."

He shook his head. Rose held back the laugh…barely.

"We have ape hostages."

He rushed toward the screen, bending down.

"Doctor! Rose! Amy!" he yelled.

The other two rushed toward the screen.

"Mo!" Ambrose exclaimed. "Mo, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, love," Mo said. "I've found Elliot. I'm bringing him home."

"Amy, I thought I'd lost you," Rory said.

"What, cause I was sucked into the ground? You're so clingy," Amy replied.

Rose laughed and glanced at the Doctor. He smiled.

"Tony Mack!" Nasreen exclaimed.

"Having fun down there?" Tony asked.

"Not to interrupt, but just a quick reminder to stay calm," the Doctor said.

"Show me Alaya," Restac demanded. Rory, Ambrose, and Tony froze. There something wrong. "Show me, and release her immediately unharmed, or we kill your friends. One by one."

"No," Ambrose insisted.

"Ambrose," Tony said, grabbing her and pulling her back.

Yes, there was definitely something wrong.

"Steady now, everyone," the Doctor said.

Rose glanced at him. Could he see it? Could he tell? She wasn't sure.

"Ambrose, stop it," Tony demanded.

The woman pulled away from him.

"Get off me, Dad," Ambrose yelled and then turned back to the screen. "We didn't start this."

"Let Rory deal with this, Ambrose, eh?" the Doctor suggested.

"We are not doing what you say anymore," Ambrose insisted. "Now, give me back my family."

There was a pause and Rose hoped Restac was, at least, considering Ambrose's request.

"No," Restac replied. "Execute the girl."

Wait. What? Restac turned around, facing them.

"No!" Rory yelled. "No, wait!"

"Rory!" Amy called.

Rose struggle in her cuffs. The metal cut into her skin, but she didn't care. She had to get them off. Had to stop this.

"She's not speaking for us," Rory insisted.

"There's no need for this," the Doctor said.

"Let her go!" Rose yelled, still struggling to free herself.

"Listen, listen," Rory tried. "Whatever you want, we'll do it."

"Aim," Restac ordered.

"Amy!" Rory shouted.

"No!" Rose yelled.

"Don't do this!" the Doctor demanded.

"No!" Rory screamed.

"Fire!" Restac ordered.

"Stop!" a male voice called from the other end of the room. His voice carried power behind it. All the Silurians paused, turning around. Malohkeh walked into the room with another male Silurian. This one wore long robes. "You want to start a war while the rest of us sleep, Restac?"

"The apes are attacking us," the female insisted.

"You're our protector, not our commander, Restac. Unchain them," he commanded as he crossed the room to stand on the other side of the long table.

"I do not recognize your authority at this time, Eldane," Restac snapped.

"Well then, you must shoot me," Eldane replied with a shrug.

He was one of their authority figures and unlike Restac he didn't seem to want to kill them. She decided that she really liked him. Restac hissed, but Eldane merely stared at her. Then the female marched across the room, eyeing Malohkeh.

"You woke him to undermine me," Restac accused.

"We're not monsters," Malohkeh said, and then glanced at them. "And neither are they."

"What is it about apes you love so much, hmm?"

"While you slept, they've evolved. I've seen it for myself."

"We used to hunt apes for sport. When we came underground, they bred and polluted this planet.

"Shush now, Restac," Eldane said as Malohkeh walked toward the Doctor. "Go and play soldiers. I'll let you know if I need you."

Restac eyed Eldane and then stepped closer.

"You'll need me, then we'll see," the female threatened, before she walked out the door.

Malohkeh began releasing them. Nasreen, Amy, and then her. She rubbed her sore wrists as he released Moe and the Doctor. She caught the _I remember what Amy said _look the Time Lord was giving her, but she chose to ignore that…for now.

**-0-**

The Doctor worked everything out with Eldane. He explained that the drill wasn't an attack, but more of an accident. The humans didn't know the Silurians were there, didn't know about the oxygen pockets. Now, all he had to do was get the others to return Alaya and everything would work out. There were…he glanced at Rose who was standing beside him…other things, but those could wait until this was taken care of. He turned the holographic screen back on. The others appeared on it.

"Rory," he said waving. "Hello."

"Where's Amy?" Rory demanded.

"She's fine," he gestured at Amy, who was behind him. "Look, here she is."

"Oh, thank God."

"Keeping you on your toes," Amy commented.

"No time to chat," he said as Amy crossed the room. He caught Rory's eye. "Listen, you need to get down here. Go to the drill storeroom. There's a large patch of earth in the middle of the floor. The Silurians are going to send up transport discs to bring you back down using geothermal energy and gravity bubble technology. It's how they travel and frankly, it's pretty cool." Rose giggled and he glanced at her, smiled, and then turned back to Rory. "Bring Alaya. We hand her over, we can land this after all. All going to work, promise. Got to dash. Hurry up."

He ended the transmission, took Rose's hand, and followed the others out of the room to put everything together.

**-0-**

Amy and Nasreen sat across from Eldane at the large council table that dominated the room. The Doctor leaned on the end of the table. Rose stood back a ways, watching them.

"I'd say you've got a fair bit to talk about," the Doctor said.

"How so?" Eldane asked.

"You both want the planet. You both have a genuine claim to it," he explained.

"Are you authorized to negotiate on behalf of humanity?"

"Me?" he laughed, catching her eye and she grinned. "No. But they are."

He pointed at Amy and Nasreen.

"What?" Nasreen asked.

"No, we're not," Amy insisted.

"Course you are. Amy Pond and Nasreen Chaudhry, speaking for the planet?" He gestured at them, walking over to clasp each of their shoulders. "Humanity couldn't have better ambassadors." He continued to the other side of the table and turned around to face them. "Come on, who has more fun than us?"

Rose laughed. He caught her gaze and they shared a smile. Amy stood up and ran over to him.

"Is this what happens, in the future?" Amy asked. "The planet gets shared? Is that what we need to do?"

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Nasreen asked, turning to them and then standing up to cross the room toward them.

Eldane eyed them.

"Oh Nasreen, sorry," the Doctor said, as if he suddenly remembered something. "Probably worth mentioning at this stage, we travel in time a bit."

Eldane looked at them in surprise. Rose glanced at Malohkeh. He smiled and glanced at her. She grinned.

"Anything else?" Nasreen asked.

The Doctor looked from Nasreen to Amy and then turned around, pacing.

"There are fixed points through time where things must always stay the way they are," he explained. Malohkeh nodded. "This is not one of them. This is an opportunity. A temporal tipping point. Whatever happens today, will change future events, create its own timeline, its own reality. The future pivots around you, here, now. So do good for humanity, and for Earth."

"Right. No pressure there, then," Amy said and then turned around and walked back to the table, sitting down.

"We can't share the planet. Nobody on the surface is going to go for this idea. It is just too big a leap," Nasreen argued.

He caught her gaze.

"Come on. Be extraordinary," he said.

He was doing that thing where he made people believe, not only that anything was possible, but that they were capable of doing anything.

"Oh, you," Nasreen said and then returned to her seat, next to Amy.

"Okay," he said, leaning on the table as he faced them. He clapped the table three times and then straightened up. "Bringing things to order. The first meeting of representatives of the human race and Homo Reptilia is now in session." He gestured from Amy and Nasreen to Eldane. Then he smiled and laughed in an excited, happy way. "Ha! Never said that before. That's fab. Carry on." He eyed Mo who was standing next to Rose. "Now, Mo." He crossed the room toward them. "Let's go and get your son." He took Rose's hand as he walked past and she followed him out the door behind Malohkeh. "Oh, you know humans, and their predecessors shooting the breeze." He glanced at her and they shared a smile. "Never thought I'd see it."

**-0-**

"So, sharing the planet then. Do you think it'll work?" she asked as they walked down the tunnel.

"I hope so." He glanced at her. There was a bit of time while Malohkeh led them to the stasis pod where Elliot was being kept and there were questions that begged answers. "What did Amy mean when she asked if you were feeling better?"

"I was…tired. That's all. I told you that," she replied, keeping her eyes averted and he could tell she wasn't being honest, at least, not completely.

She was hiding something and he wasn't sure if she thought it would worry him or there was some other reason, but he didn't like the idea of her keeping thing from him. Especially with the way she was changing.

"Rose," he insisted.

She sighed.

"Look, it's not important right now. I'm fine. Really."

She wasn't fine. Now that he was closer he could pick up on the differences. Her eyes still seemed tired. She was trying to hide it, but he could see through her disguise. Her skin was a shade paler, but she wasn't sweating and her pupils weren't dilated. It was almost as if she'd exerted herself. She was recovering, but he wanted to know what happened.

"You were tired and you haven't been getting tired, at least, not like that. You haven't since you started…" he trailed off, not wanting to get into the fact that she was changing.

"Since I what?" she asked, eyeing him and now it was his turn to be evasive.

"Tell me what happened," he insisted.

"It was just…I…I think I did something, but I'm not sure."

Did something? Something to exert herself? What could she have done? Not running, not something normal or she'd know what it was.

"Did what? What did you do?" he asked.

They stepped through a door way.

"He's down here," Malohkeh said.

"We can talk about this later, yeah?" she asked, catching his gaze and giving him that look. The one that made him do whatever she wanted. He sighed, rubbing his hand over his forehead because now he was thinking about that skirt she was wearing and he'd been doing such a good job of keeping his mind off of it.

"But we _will_ discuss this later," he insisted. Malohkeh stopped in front of a door. He walked over, looking through the window. The boy was inside. He was all right. Sleeping, but unharmed. "Elliot. There you are."

Malohkeh used the monitor to open the door. The Doctor walked over to him.

"If you've harmed him in any way," Mo warned.

The Silurian turned to the man.

"Of course not. I only store the young," Malohkeh said.

Store them? Why would he store them?

"But why?" the Doctor asked.

Malohkeh looked at him.

"I took samples of the young, slowed their lifecycles to a millionth of their normal rate so I could study how they grew, what they needed, how they lived on the surface."

The excitement in the Silurian's voice made him smile. Rose drew up to them. She put her hand on Malohkeh's arm and the Doctor could tell she was thinking the same thing he was. The Silurian had been alone for a long time. Malohkeh turned to her.

"You've been down here working by yourself, all alone?" she asked.

"My family through the millennia, and for the last three hundred years, just me," Malohkeh said, giving her a smile she returned. The Silurian glanced at Mo. "I never meant to harm your child."

Mo nodded.

"Malohkeh," the Doctor said, smiling. "I rather love you."

The Silurian smiled and then glanced at the monitor.

"It's safe. We can wake him." Malohkeh stepped inside the chamber after the door slid open. He pulled the wires off Elliot, carefully and then turned to Mo. "Come."

The Doctor felt Rose take his arm. He glanced at her and they shared a smile as Mo stepped into the chamber. The boy blinked, coming out of the sleep state he'd been in.

"Elliot?" Mo asked. The boy glanced at him. "Ell, its Dad."

"Dad," Elliot exclaimed.

Mo hugged him. The Doctor smiled at the display. Rose leaned her head on his shoulder and he noticed she was smiling too. He put his arm around her and drew her close.

"You're safe now," Mo said, drawing back.

"Where are we?" Elliot asked.

"Well, I've got to be honest with you, son. We're in the centre of the Earth, and there are lizard men."

Elliot glanced at Malohkeh. The Silurian waved.

"Hi," Malohkeh said.

"Wow," the boy said, making Rose laugh. Elliot caught sight of her. He ran up to her. "Rose!" The Doctor released her as she bent down and gave the boy a hug. "You're okay."

"Right as rain," she replied, giving him a smile as she ruffled his hair.

"I'm sorry."

She glanced up at the Doctor and he could tell she knew the boy blamed himself for her getting captured and he also knew she wouldn't have that.

"It's not your fault," she said. "I should've known better, but, I mean," She glanced at Malohkeh and then back at Elliot, "getting caught by lizard men and being taken to the center of the Earth, how cool is that?" she asked, grinning.

"Pretty cool," the boy replied, smiling back.

As the Doctor watched them he couldn't help thinking about that dream, about the family he thought he had. He smiled. Rose would make a really good…he stopped the thought, shaking his head. No, no, best not think about that. Those thoughts were really, not good. Rose was changing and he couldn't even be sure if she'd be Rose when everything was said and done. Besides, even if she was still Rose having a family was impossible. Completely impossible.

Rose stood up and he took her hand, leading her and the others back the way they came.

"You go on, Doctor," Malohkeh said, stopping him. "I'll catch up."

He gave the Silurian a smile and then turned around with Rose and stepped back through the doorway.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	46. Cold Blood Part 3

They were back in the council room with Eldane, Amy, Nasreen, and Mo. Rose stood next to the Doctor, waiting on the others who had just arrived. Rory stepped into the room first.

"Here they are," the Doctor said.

She glanced at him and they shared a smile. Soon they'd drop the others on the surface and they'd be off with Amy and Rory. This time to a beach, even if she had to pilot the TARDIS herself.

He waved and Rory returned a half hearted wave, making her wonder what was going on. Ambrose appeared next.

"Mum!" Elliot said, running across the room toward the woman.

Then Tony came into view, carrying something. No, not something. Her heart dropped as she realized what the man was carrying. She glanced around them, hoping she was wrong, but there were only three of them. Her eyes returned to the blanket and what was under it.

"Rory!" Amy called, standing up.

"Is that…?" Rose asked, resting her hand on the Doctor's arm.

"Something's wrong," he said.

Rory and Ambrose stopped, but Tony continued into the room carrying what she believed to be Alaya's body.

"Doctor, what's he carrying?" Amy asked in a voice that told her the girl knew what he was carrying, but didn't want to believe it.

The Doctor stepped forward.

"No," he said in a low, disbelieving voice. "Don't do this. Tell me you didn't do this."

Rose stepped forward as Tony stopped and bent down, laying Alaya's body on the floor. The Doctor bent down and Rose joined him. He pulled back the blanket to reveal Alaya's face. The Silurian was dead, as she suspected.

"What did you do?" he asked in an accusing voice, eyeing Tony.

He was angry and she didn't blame him for that, but she knew how close to the edge he lived. She put her hand on his arm.

"It was me. I did it," Ambrose said.

Her? Why would she kill Alaya?

"Mum?" Elliot asked, as if he couldn't believe his mum would do something like that.

The boy walked away from Ambrose and crossed the room toward his dad. The Doctor took Rose's hand and stood up.

"I just wanted you back," the woman protested.

He glanced at Eldane.

"I'm sorry," he said, he dropped her hand and crossed the room toward the Silurian. "I didn't know. You have to believe me, they're better than this."

"This is our planet!" Ambrose yelled.

"What you did was wrong," Rose insisted, walking toward the woman.

The Doctor joined her, eyeing Ambrose.

"We had a chance here," he said.

"Leave us alone," Ambrose insisted.

"In the future," he snapped, leaning toward the woman, "when you talk about this, you tell people there was a chance but you were so much less," Rose set her arm on his shoulder as he yelled at Ambrose, "than the best of humanity."

He glanced at her and she could see the despair in his eyes, then a group of soldiers entered, drawing their attention. They pointed their guns at everyone in the room. Then another group entered though another door and yet another group though a different door. Within a few moments they were surrounded. Restac entered followed by another group of soldiers.

"My sister," Restac said, looking around the room. The Silurian's eyes fell on the blanket. She crossed the room and bent down, uncovering Alaya. She released a woeful sound. There was such sadness in Restac's cry. One glance at the Doctor told her how worried he was. Restac wanted to execute them when she thought her sister was alive. Now, what would she do? After a few moments she covered Alaya back up and eyed the Doctor. "And you want us to trust these apes, Doctor?"

"One woman," he said. "She was scared for her family. She is not typical."

Restac stood up and eyed Ambrose.

"I think she is," Restac insisted.

"One person let us down, but there is a whole race of dazzling, peaceful human beings up there." He paced between Eldane and Restac. "You were building something here. Come on. An alliance could work."

"It's too late for that, Doctor," Ambrose said.

Something in her voice gave Rose pause. She was keeping something from them.

"Why?" the Doctor asked.

"Our drill is set to start burrowing again in fifteen minutes," the woman replied.

The drill? They purposely set their drill to start up knowing there was an entire civilization of Silurians down there? Knowing it would most likely kill all of them.

"What?" Nasreen gasped.

"Why would you do that?" Rose demanded, glancing from Ambrose to Tony.

"What choice did I have? They had Elliot," Tony replied.

"There's always a choice," she insisted.

"Don't do this. Don't call their bluff," the Doctor said.

"Let us go back," Ambrose begged eyeing Restac. "And you promise to never come to the surface ever again." The Silurian hissed angrily. "We'll walk away, leave you alone."

"Execute her," Restac ordered.

"No!" the Doctor yelled, grabbing Rose's hand and dashed across the room, pulling Ambrose out of the way as the soldiers took aim and fired. He pushed Ambrose toward the only unblocked exit.

"Everybody, back to the lab. Run," he commanded.

He stopped and pulled out his sonic. He gave Rose a shove toward the exit. She dashed through the entryway, but waited just inside.

"Execute all the apes," Restac demanded.

"This is a deadly weapon. Stay back," he said.

She heard a lot of loud pops and a few weapons discharged. She wasn't sure what was going on and she was starting to worry. She was just about to run back after him when he appeared, dashing through the exit. He grabbed her hand as he passed and they ran down the tunnel together.

"Take everyone to the lab," he yelled as Rory came into view up ahead of them. She heard the soldiers chasing after them, firing their weapons. She rounded a corner with him. Everyone was stopped up ahead. They drew closer and the Doctor released her hand, pulled out his sonic and brandished it. "I'll cover you. Go." Rory raced down the tunnel with everyone, but Rose stood behind the Doctor. He glanced at her, but didn't tell her to go after the others. Maybe the fact that she wasn't going to leave him had finally sunk in.

Restac and the soldiers drew up to them. He used his sonic to disarm them, but Restac ran towards them. He brandished his sonic.

"Ah, ah," he said. "Stop right there or I'll use my very deadly weapon again." The Silurian stopped and glared at him. "One warning, that's all you get. If there can be no deal, you go back to hibernation. All of you, now. This ends here."

"No. It only ends with our victory," Restac insisted.

"Like I said, one warning."

He used his sonic to disarm the last two and then spun around, took Rose's hand, and they dashed around the corner and down another tunnel together. She laughed. He caught her eye and laughed with her.

They raced into the laboratory. He used his sonic to close the doors. Then he glanced at the boy.

"Elliot, you and your dad keep your eyes on that screen," he instructed. "Let me know if we get company. Amy," he tossed her a stopwatch, "keep reminding me how much time I haven't got."

"Okay. Um, uh, twelve minutes till drill impact," Amy said.

He walked around the console and over to Tony, dropping her hand as they drew near. Then he thumped the man in the forehead with his finger.

"Tony Mack," he said. "Sweaty forehead, dilated pupils. What are you hiding?"

The man pulled back his shirt to reveal swollen green veins all over his chest. She gasped. What the hell?

"Tony, what happened?" Nasreen asked.

"Alaya's sting. She said there's no cure. I'm dying, aren't I?" Tony asked.

Sting? The Silurian stung him? How? The Doctor used his sonic, pressing it against one of the green veins and then holding down the button. He spun around and held his sonic up to one of the monitors in the console.

"You're not dying, you're mutating," he said.

"Mutating?" Rose asked.

The sting was causing him to change, but what was he going to become? She glanced from him to Nasreen.

"How can I stop it?" Tony asked.

"Decontamination program. Might work. Don't know." He slid his sonic back into his pocket. Then he glanced at the Silurian. "Eldane, can you run the program on Tony?"

"Doctor, shit load of those creatures coming our way," Mo called. "We're surrounded in here."

"So, question is, how do we stop the drill given we can't get there in time? Plus, also, how do we get out, given that we're surrounded?" the Doctor asked.

They couldn't stop the drill from where they were, but what if they could destroy it? Blow it up somehow. Rose caught his gaze.

"If we had some kind of a weapon we could fire it up at the drill and destroy it, yeah?" she asked.

"Brilliant!" he exclaimed, giving her a smile. She grinned. He glanced at Nasreen. "Nasreen, how do you feel about an energy pulse channeled up through the tunnels to the base of the drill?"

"To blow up my life's work?" the woman asked.

"Yes. Sorry. No nice way of putting that."

"Right, well, you're going to have to do it before the drill hits the city, in, uh…"

Nasreen scratched the side of her head, thinking.

"Eleven minutes forty seconds," Amy said.

The Doctor raced over to the console.

"Yes," he laughed. "Squeaky bum time."

Rose shook her head, laughing.

"Yes, but the explosion is going to cave in all the surrounding tunnels, so we have to be out and on the surface by then," Nasreen said.

"But we can't get past Restac's troops," Rory replied.

"I can help with that," Eldane offered, stepping out of the chamber where Tony was leaned up against one of the medical tables. "Toxic Fumigation. An emergency failsafe meant to protect my species from infection. A warning signal to occupy cryo-chambers. After that, citywide fumigation by toxic gas. Then the city shuts down."

The Doctor turned around and she could tell he wasn't thrilled with the idea. The Silurian was willing to release toxic gas that would kill anyone, including his own people, if they were caught out in it, and he was willing to do it to help them escape. She caught Eldane's gaze.

"You could end up killing your own people," she said.

Eldane glanced at her.

"Only those foolish enough to follow Restac," Eldane replied.

The Doctor turned back and glanced at the Silurian.

"Eldane, are you sure about this?" he asked.

"My priority is my race's survival. The Earth isn't ready for us to return yet," Eldane said.

"No," the Doctor reluctantly agreed.

"Ten minutes, Doctor," Amy said.

"It should be," Rose argued.

The Doctor glanced at her, giving her a half smile.

"Yes, it should," he agreed. "So, here's the deal." He walked out from behind the console. "Everybody listening. Eldane," he sat his hand on the Silurian's shoulder, "you activate shutdown. I'll amend the system, set your alarm for a thousand years time." He faced the others. "A thousand years to sort the planet out. To be ready. Pass it on. As legend, or prophesy, or religion, but somehow make it known. This planet is to be shared."

"Yeah, I get you," Elliot said.

The Doctor smiled and then snapped his fingers, pointing at the boy. Then the turned around and walked back to the console. She gave the boy a smile. If only more people were like him Eldane and his people wouldn't have to stay hidden for another thousand years.

"Nine minutes, seven seconds," Amy announced.

"Yes. Fluid controls, my favorite," he said. Rose drew up next to him and he glanced at her, sharing a smile then turned back to the console. "Energy pulse. Timed, primed and set. Before we go," he reached into his pocket and pulled out his sonic then pointed at one of the monitors, "energy barricade. Need to cancel it out quickly."

He held down the button for a moment, cancelling the barricade. Then slid his sonic back into his pocket.

"Fumigation pre-launching," Eldane announced.

"There's not much time for us to get from here to the surface, Doctor," Rory said, walking over to them.

"Ah ha," he laughed, glancing at Rose. "Super-squeaky bum time." She laughed. He glanced at the others. "Get ready to run for your lives. Now."

He turned to Eldane.

"But the decontamination program on your friend hasn't started yet," the Silurian said.

What? They couldn't take Tony out of there until that was done or he'd keep mutating, keep changing.

"Well, go," Tony said, stepping away from the medical table and into the room. "All of you, go."

And just leave him? She glanced at the Doctor, but he didn't seem to have an alternative.

"No, we're not leaving you here," Ambrose insisted.

Elliot ran toward Tony and hugged him.

"Granddad," the boy said.

"Eight minutes ten seconds," Amy announced.

"Now you look after your mum," Tony said. He bent down, catching Elliot's gaze. "You mustn't blame her. She only did what she thought was right."

"I'm not going to see you again, am I?" the boy asked.

Rose wanted to help them, wanted to stop this from happening. It reminded her of her own family. Her mum and dad and Tony and the fact that they were lost to her. On a parallel world she couldn't get to and, although she had the Doctor and she loved him, she'd never see her family again.

"I'll be here," Tony insisted, pointing at Elliot's heart, "always. I love you, boy." Tony pulled him into another hug. He eyed Ambrose, releasing Elliot. "You be sure he gets home safe."

Rose felt the Doctor take her hand. She looked at him through the veil of unshed tear in her eyes. He pulled her into a hug and she clung to him for a moment, then he pulled back and kissed her forehead.

"You're not alone," he said, gazing into her eyes. "You'll never be alone."

"I know," she said, giving him a smile.

Eldane pressed his hand against one of the monitors, drawing her attention. The lights dimmed and became more of a greenish color.

"Toxic fumigation initiated," the computerized voice warned.

"They're going," Amy called, from the other side of the room. "We're clear."

"Okay," the Doctor instructed, grabbing Rose's hand and racing over to the door with his sonic held out, "everyone follow Nasreen. Look for a blue box. Get ready to run."

He pointed his sonic at the keypad and the door slid open

"Return to cryo-chambers," the computerized voice said.

The Doctor slid his sonic back into his pocket as he walked toward Eldane. Rose followed.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I thought for a moment, our race and the humans," Eldane replied.

"Yeah, me too."

"Come on you two," Amy insisted. "We've got less than six minutes."

"Go. Go!" He gestured toward the door. "We're right behind you. Just go."

He shook Eldane's hand and then stepped toward the Silurian.

"I wish things had worked out differently," Rose said.

"So do I," Eldane replied.

He offered his hand, but she just smiled and hugged him. He seemed a bit surprised, but a moment later he hugged her back. She released him and the Doctor took her hand, then he glanced over at Nasreen.

"Let's go," he said, turning around and pulling Rose with him.

"I'm not coming either," the woman replied.

He stopped and turned back. Rose looked at Nasreen. Not coming?

"What?" he asked, in disbelief.

Nasreen crossed the room to Tony, resting her hand on the man's arm.

"We're going to hibernate with them," Nasreen glanced at the man, "me and Tony," the woman explained.

Nasreen was in love with Tony. Rose could see that. The woman wouldn't leave the man she loved. Rose smiled, glancing at the Doctor. She could understand that.

"Doctor, you must go. Both of you," Eldane insisted.

"I can be decontaminated when we're woken," Tony said, looking into Nasreen's eyes. "All the time in the world."

"But, Nasreen, you-"

"No," the woman said, crossing the room toward them, "this is perfect. I don't want to go." Rose set her hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "I've got what I was digging for. I can't leave when I've only just found it."

"Doctor! Rose!" Amy said, running up behind them.

"Thank you, Doctor," Nasreen said.

"The pleasure was all mine," he replied, hugging her.

After he released her, Rose pulled the woman into a hug.

"You'll have each other," she said.

When she pulled back Nasreen smiled.

The Doctor glanced at his watch and then grabbed Rose's hand and turned around, running toward the door.

"Come and look for us," Nasreen called.

He paused, turned back, and they both waved. Then he turned around and raced down the tunnel, pulling her along.

"Immediate evacuation," the computerized voice called as they ran.

They turned down another tunnel and then raced over a bridge-like road. Then they were inside a new set of tunnels. They rounded a corner and Rory raced past them.

"Other way, idiot," Amy yelled, making Rose laugh.

Rory turned around and ran after them.

"Toxic fumigation is about to commence. Immediate evacuation," the computerized voice warned.

They raced across another bridge-like road. Mo, Ambrose, and Elliot were up ahead.

"Come on," Mo called.

The Doctor dashed past them with Rose alongside. He ducked into another tunnel and up to the TARDIS. He released her hand as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the TARDIS key. She watched him unlocked the door.

"Toxic fumigation is about to commence."

"No questions," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulled out the TARDIS key, "just get in. And yes, I know, it's big. Ambrose," he unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping back, "sickbay up the stairs, left, then left again. Get yourself fixed up." Elliot, Mo, and Ambrose ran inside. He glanced at Amy and Rory as they ran towards him. "Come on. Five minutes and counting."

Rose, turned to them, but noticed something glowing to her left, she glanced at it and gasped, doubling over. That burning sensation ripped through her mind. There was a crack, like the others.

"Rose," the Doctor asked in his extremely worried voice as he bent down, resting his hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong? What is it?"

Pain burned through her mind, too much to form words. She pointed at the crack and then squeezed her eyes shut. The pain vanished.

"Not here," he whispered, still with that extremely worried voice. "Not now. It's getting wider."

She stood up and turned around, facing the TARDIS, hoping that if she wasn't looking at it the pain wouldn't return.

"The crack on my bedroom wall," Amy said.

She opened her eyes and stared the TARDIS door. Why the hell couldn't she look at it? Everyone else could, but not her. Time Energy. The Doctor was right. It had to have something to do with that.

"And the Byzantium," the Doctor replied. She heard him step away. Was he moving closer to it? No, he knew how dangerous it was. He wouldn't do that, would he? "All through the universe, rips in the continuum."

"How can it be here?" Rose asked.

"Some sort of space-time cataclysm," he said. "An explosion, maybe. Big enough to put cracks in the universe. But what?"

"Four minutes fifty. We have to go," Amy insisted.

"The Angels laughed when I didn't know. Prisoner Zero knew. Everybody knows except me."

"Doctor, just leave it," Amy insisted, something in the girl's voice worried her.

She wanted to turn around. See what he was doing, but she knew if she did the pain would return and she wouldn't be able to see through the burning in her mind.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"But where there's an explosion, there's shrapnel," he said.

She heard him move again. Closer? Why would he do that?

"Doctor, you can't put your hand in there," Rory insisted.

Wait. What?

"Doctor get away from it!" she yelled, feeling completely helpless and hating that she felt that way.

"Why not?" he asked.

Oh, there was a slap in that man's future.

"Amy, don't let him," she called.

He screamed. She spun around and immediately regretted it as the pain returned, burning through her mind. She'd seen him though, for a second. He was bent down in front of the crack with his hand shoved inside like an idiot. He was definitely getting a slap.

"Rose," Amy said, running over to her. "Close your eyes. Close your eyes and turn around."

"What's wrong with her?" Rory asked.

"It's the light from the crack. She can't look at it."

"What? Why not?"

Rose closed her eyes and turned around.

"I've got something," the Doctor called.

"What is it?" she asked.

She heard him struggle and then it sounded like he fell. She was about to ask what happened when he spoke.

"I don't know," he said.

"Doctor?" Rory called in alarm.

Rose turned, shielding her eyes from the crack. Restac pulled herself along the ground. She appeared to have been injured, no, not injured, poisoned by the gas and she pulled a gun along with her.

"She was there when the gas started," Amy said. "She must have been poisoned."

"You," Restac growled, trying to lift her gun.

"Okay, get in the TARDIS, all three of you," the Doctor ordered.

"You did this," she lifted the gun, pointing it at him.

No! Rose turned to run toward him, but when she dropped her hand she caught sight of the light and pain seared through her mind.

"Doctor!" Rory yelled and she heard him running.

She shielded her eyes and looked over in time to see Restac fire. She heard Rory yell. Fear lanced through her heart.

"Rory!" she yelled.

"Rory!" Amy screamed.

She took a step, but she knew if she turned her head she'd see the light and be immobilized by pain again.

"Rose! Stay there!" The Doctor insisted. She heard movement and assumed that was the Doctor going to Rory's side. "Rory, can you hear me?"

She heard worry and fear in his voice. Restac must have shot Rory. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she couldn't help feeling as if she could've done something to prevent it if the light didn't affect her.

"I don't understand," Rory said.

"Shush. Don't talk. Doctor, is he okay?" Amy asked. "We have to get him onto the TARDIS."

Rose knew there was only so much the TARDIS could do, only so much the Doctor could do. Sometimes everyone didn't live, but Rory…and Amy, she was about to lose the man she loved.

"We were on the hill," Rory said in disbelief. "I can't die here."

"Don't say that," Amy sobbed.

"You're so beautiful. I'm sorry."

"Doctor, help him."

"Amy, move away from the light. If it touches you, you'll be wiped from history," the Doctor said in his extremely worried voice. Wait. Light? Was it coming out of the crack? "Amy, move away now."

"No. I am not leaving him. We have to help him," Amy yelled.

"Amy, listen to him," Rose said.

"The light's already around him. We can't help him," he said.

"I am not leaving him," Amy insisted.

"We have to. Rose, open the door."

She grabbed the handle and pulled the TARDIS door open, stepping aside. She knew what the Doctor was going to do and that it had to be done, but she couldn't help feeling for Amy. She was about to lose Rory, completely lose him.

"No!" the girl screamed.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Get off me!"

She heard them struggle as he drug Amy to the TARDIS.

"I'm sorry."

"Get off me." He shoved Amy inside and then grabbed Rose's hand, pulling her inside and shut the door, using his sonic to lock it. "No." Amy raced back to the door. "No!" She tried to open it. "No! No! No!" She banged her hand on the wood and Rose couldn't help, but be reminded of a time when she'd done that. A time when the Doctor locked her in the TARDIS and sent it back to Earth, her time, to save her. A time when she thought she was going to lose the man she loved. "Let me out. Please let me out. I need to get to Rory." She stood halfway between Amy and halfway between the Doctor. She looked at him. He was doing what he had to, to save Amy, but she could see the despair in his eyes. Amy walked over to the large monitor. Rose turned around. Rory's body could be seen. The light was there and for some reason it didn't burn her to look at it through the monitor. She wasn't sure why, but she watched as it began creeping over his body. "That light," Amy said. "If his body's absorbed, I'll forget him. He'll never have existed." She spun around and eyed the Doctor. "You can't let that happen." He flipped the lever to start the Time Rotor. Amy raced over to him. "What are you doing?" The girl ran up to him, trying to pull his hands away from the console. "Doctor, no! No! No!" But it was too late, the TARDIS was already dematerializing. "No!" Amy slapped at him, but he grabbed her. "We can't just leave him there."

"Keep him in your mind," he said. "Don't forget him. If you forget him, you'll lose him forever."

Wait. Did he really think Amy could keep hold of Rory's memory?

"When we were on the Byzantium, I still remember the Clerics because I am a time traveler now, you said."

"They weren't part of your world." He cradled her head in his hands, trying to catch her gaze, but she was crying. "This is different. This is your own history changing."

"Don't. Tell me it's going to be okay. You have to make it okay."

"It's going to be hard," He kissed her forehead, "but you can do it, Amy."

He led her over to the jump seat and sat her down. Rose crossed the control room and crouched down next to him, taking the girl's hand, wanting to fix this, but knowing there wasn't anything she could do. The Doctor wanted Amy to remember. To hold onto Rory's memory and Rose knew he must have a good reason for that.

"Tell us about Rory, yeah?" she asked.

"Fantastic Rory," the Doctor said. "Funny Rory. Gorgeous Rory. Amy, listen to me. Do exactly as I say. Amy, please. Keep concentrating."

"You can do this, Amy," she said.

"I can't," Amy cried, shaking her head.

"You can. You can do it. I can't help you unless you do. Come on. We can still save his memory. Come on, Amy. Please," he begged.

"Come on, Amy," she said.

"Amy, please. Don't let anything distract you. Remember Rory. Keep remembering. Rory's only alive in your memory. You must keep hold of him. Don't let anything distract you. Rory still lives in your mind."

The TARDIS pitched and they were all thrown to the floor. Amy sat up and glanced from Rose to the Doctor.

"What were you two saying?" Amy asked.

Rose sat up, looking from her to the Doctor. She could see in his eyes that it didn't work. The TARDIS throwing them to the floor distracted the girl. Rory was gone and Amy couldn't remember him.

"I have seen some things today, but this is beyond mad," Mo said, walking into the control room from the corridor with Elliot and Ambrose following.

Amy picked up the stopwatch and glanced at it.

"Doctor. Five seconds till it all goes up," she said.

He jumped to his feet and raced to the door. Amy followed and Rose trailed her. She raced out the door in time to see the drill explode.

**-0-**

Rose walked back to the TARDIS with the Doctor and Amy. Everything was sorted. Ambrose, Elliot, and Mo were back where they belonged. She said her goodbyes along with Amy and the Doctor. The only person missing was Rory and Amy didn't even remember him.

"You two are very quiet," Amy said and then paused, catching sight of something in the distance. "Oh. Hey, look. There I am again. Hello, me."

The girl waved. Then she looked sad or concerned. Rose couldn't tell which.

"Are you okay?" the Doctor asked in his worried voice.

"I thought I saw someone else there for a second." Amy turned eyeing first the Doctor and then her. "I need a holiday. Didn't we talk about Rio?"

The girl turned around and walked up to the TARDIS. Rose followed with the Doctor trailing.

"You two go in." He pulled the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. "Just fix this lock. Keeps jamming."

He opened the door.

"You boys and your locksmithery."

Amy stepped inside, but Rose hesitated.

"Jamming? The lock never jammed before," she said, raising her brow.

He was up to something.

"Keep an eye on her," he replied, nodding inside the TARDIS. "I'll be right in."

"What are you up to?" she asked, eyeing him.

"Up to? Me?" he inquired, as if that was the most absurd thing he'd ever heard. "Nothing."

She folded her arms. He was definitely up to something.

"Yes, you. Tell me."

He sighed and then leaned over and shut the door. He reached into his other inside pocket and pulled out a red handkerchief. He unwrapped it to reveal a burnt piece of wood with writing on it. Wait. She glanced from what he held to the other TARDIS door. It couldn't be. It couldn't possibly be. She caught his eye.

"What is that?" she asked, sure she already knew.

"I pulled it out of that crack," he said, lifting it up and putting it over the sign on the TARDIS door.

It was a match. An exact match.

"But that's -"

"Yeah."

"How?" Then she remembered what he said, _An explosion, maybe. Big enough to put cracks in the universe. _She caught his gaze. "The TARDIS?"

"Yes. I believe so."

"But…how?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied.

Somehow the TARDIS would explode at some point in the future and that explosion would create cracks in the universe. Cracks that would leak Time Energy. They had to stop it from happening, but she had no idea how they were going to do that.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	47. Gold

Rose pulled her pajamas on. She hadn't slept much since the Doctor rescued her from that hospital. An hour here, two there, but not more than four a week. Tonight she was fairly sure she'd sleep for four, maybe six. She still felt a bit drained from earlier, although she wasn't entirely sure what caused it. She had a idea. A completely mental idea, but try as she might she couldn't disregard it.

A knock on her bedroom door drew her attention. The Doctor? Possibly. Although he hadn't knocked last time, but maybe he learned his lesson. She crossed the room and opened the door. Amy stood in the hall.

"Can I come in?" the girl asked and she seemed…a bit off.

Lost, but not lost. Then again after everything she'd gone through, even if she couldn't remember it, Rose couldn't blame her. When something happened there were always traces, like that nagging feeling Rose got every once in a while that made her feel like she'd forgotten something. She couldn't remember what happened to her after she was taken, but that feeling was still there.

"Sure," she said, opening the door wider and stepping aside.

Amy walked in and Rose closed the door. The girl gazed around her room.

"Wow, it's…um…very…pink," the girl commented.

Rose laughed.

"Yeah, I was thinking of having the Doctor change the color."

"Why?"

"Well, the room was put together when I was younger and I'm not exactly the same person anymore. I mean, I like pink and all, but it's…"

"Very pink," Amy said and they both laughed.

"Exactly."

"Hey," the girl said, drawing her attention. "How come you don't have a bunk bed?"

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, glancing at her large canopy bed.

"I have a bunk bed, which is weird because it's not like I share my room with anyone. I remember asking the Doctor to take it out, but he said, bunk beds are cool. Why don't you have one?"

"He put my room together before he got into his _bunk beds are cool _phase."

"Wish he'd get out of that phase," Amy said and then she looked at Rose, catching her eye. "Have you talked to him yet?"

Talk to him? What did she mean?

"About what?" Rose asked.

"He didn't buy that story about you being tired either," Amy replied.

Oh. That. Yeah, she'd been avoiding that. She knew she'd have to talk to him eventually, but she was tired and didn't want to get into it with him tonight.

"Um…not yet, but I will. I'm just-" she began.

"Avoiding it?" Amy cut in.

She smiled, glancing at the girl.

"Yeah, I guess. He just…worries."

"Well, I can't blame him. I mean the way your eyes changed. It was weird."

Hang on. She eyed Amy. What? Her eyes changed?

"What do you mean, when my eyes changed?" she asked.

"Right before those clamps released your eyes…they were…" Amy glanced away and then back to her. "I don't know, not really glowing, but they changed, they were all gold."

Fear raced through her heart. Gold? No. That couldn't have happened. Couldn't possibly have happened.

"Gold?" she asked, hoping she was wrong because if the girl was right…what did that mean? Did that mean it was back? It couldn't be back. He'd taken it out of her.

"Has it happened before?" Amy asked, a bit worried.

"Yeah, once, a long time ago," she replied.

She glanced at the girl. Amy seemed worried and a bit concerned. There was no sense in worrying her, at least, not until Rose knew for sure. She hadn't felt anything, at least, not like the Doctor described when he told her what happened to her, how she saved him.

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"It's nothing," she dismissed. "I mean, it's just something that happened. I'm sure the Doctor will figure it out."

Amy stared at her for a moment and then seemed to decide not to push further. Instead, the girl wondered over to her dresser and began looking at the framed photos setting on top of it. Rose drew up next to her. There was something going on with the girl. Not that she didn't enjoy Amy's company. They talked and joked over meals and things like that, but at first she spent most of her free time with the Doctor and then after Rory started traveling with them Amy spent time with him. Rose considered the girl a friend, but not a really close friend. Not the come to your room and share secrets sort.

"Is this your mum?" Amy asked, picking up a picture of Rose with her mum.

"Yeah, that's her," she said and the words came out quieter than she intended.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," the girl said, as if she'd done something horrible. "I forgot."

Rose knew Amy was talking about the fact that she'd been separated from her family. That they were living on a parallel world and she'd most likely never see them again. But she knew Amy had lost her parents as well, even if she couldn't remember them, like she couldn't remember Rory.

"It's all right. I mean, it's sad, yeah?" Rose asked. "But talking about them helps me remember them and as long as I remember them then they're still here."

A far off look crossed the girl's eyes, making Rose regret what she said.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yeah," the girl blinked, "Sorry. Must have spaced off there for a second. Long day, you know?"

Amy turned back to the pictures and picked up another one. This one of her with Jack.

"Is this that boyfriend you had?" Amy asked.

"Boyfriend?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, someone told me you had a boyfriend before, must have been the Doctor who told me. Is this him?"

Rose laughed. She'd thought of Jack like that once, not of him being her boyfriend, but there was a time when she'd been attracted to him, but that was a long time ago. Now, he was her friend, close friend, but, yeah, just her friend.

"No, that's Jack. He's a friend."

Amy looked at the picture and the leering way Jack was looking at her then back to Rose, raising her brow.

"Just a friend."

"Yeah, just a friend."

"He's giving you the look."

Rose laughed.

"Jack gives everyone that look."

"Ooo, can I meet him?"

She laughed.

"No," Rose said, taking the photo and putting it back on her dresser. "You definitely can't meet him."

"Why not?" Rose gave her a _you know why _look. "Fine. Ooo, can I meet him?" She picked up another picture. "Wait, he's giving you a look like that too. This was your boyfriend, yeah?"

Amy held the picture out to Rose. It was the Doctor in his tenth regeneration. She laughed.

"You've already met him."

"What?" Amy asked, looking at the picture. "No, I haven't. I'd remember him."

"That's the Doctor."

Amy looked at her in confusion.

"Sorry? The Doctor? What doctor?"

"_The_ Doctor," Rose nodded toward the door.

"What? No." Rose smiled. Amy's eyes widened as she glanced at the picture again. "No. How can this be him?"

He'd obviously skipped that whole regeneration speech, same thing he'd done to her, which was why she thought he'd been body switched when he regenerated from his ninth to his tenth form. She needed to have a talk with him and go down the list of things companions ought to know. Number one being that whole regeneration thing.

"When the Doctor gets injured, seriously injured, like he's going to die, he doesn't die, he regenerates," she explained. "Every cell in his body dies and is reborn. He changes. Completely changes."

"So, he turns into someone else?" Amy asked.

"Basically, yeah."

"But that's…that's so…weird. He really is an alien."

"Yeah, he's definitely an alien," Rose agreed, laughing.

Amy set the photo back on her dresser and then picked up the last one.

"Don't tell me this was your boyfriend?"

Rose laughed.

"That's the Doctor too."

"What? No," Amy gasped. Then she laughed. "Look at those ears."

"Don't diss the ears," she said, trying to feign anger, but she wound up laughing too. "That's what he looked like when I met him."

She took the picture and gazed at the man she ran away with all those years ago. He was still there. The man she fell in love with. He just had a different face and a few more quirks. She smiled.

"So, when he does that regenerate thing-" Amy began.

"Regeneration," she corrected.

"Yeah, that. When he does that his whole body changes, yeah?"

"Not just his body. He literally becomes another person. His personality changes too." She sat the photo on her dresser. "When I first met him he was a bit rough around the edges. Leather jacket, northern accent, blundering around on his own. He was angry, a bit pompous, okay, more than a bit, but he was lonely. Traveling all on his own. Then after he changed he was, I don't know, more human, I guess. He joked more and laughed. He was lighter, but still sad and he could be angry too, but mostly he was all right. More than all right."

Amy gave her a knowing look. She raised her brow.

"You must really love him," Amy said.

"Sorry?" she asked, taken back.

She loved the Doctor and she knew he loved her, but there was something in the way the girl said that.

"To stay with him after all that. I mean, most men have their problems, some more than others, but to stay with someone who completely changed, not once, but twice."

Amy shook her head.

"He's still the Doctor," Rose said. "He changed, yeah, but he's still the same inside."

"That's what I mean. You see that because you love him. I wish I had someone I loved that much."

That far off look returned as Amy glanced at the photos again. There was something going on with the girl. Something not at all good.

"What's wrong?" she asked. A tear slid down the girl's cheek. Rose reached out and put her hand on Amy's shoulder in concern. "Amy?"

"Sorry," the girl said, looking at her and smiling, as if she didn't even know she was crying. "Must have spaced off again. I think I'm getting tired. I probably ought to go to bed." She walked over to the door and opened it. "Night."

"Night," Rose replied as the girl stepped out and closed the door.

Traces. Rory might be gone, but there were still traces of him left, deep inside Amy's mind. She was grieving and she didn't even know she was doing it. Rose's heart ached for her. She wished there was some way to bring him back. Something she could do.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	48. Changing

The Doctor watched Amy step out of Rose's room and head farther down the corridor as he walked toward Rose's room. He made Rose a cup of tea, though that wasn't the real reason for his visit. She slipped away earlier before he had a chance to rescan her with the TARDIS and he'd been waiting for her to come back into the control room, but as first one hour and then another slipped by he decided to check on her. Run a quick scan with his sonic.

She also hadn't elaborated on that whole _I think I might've done something _business and he wanted to get to the bottom of that. He needed to know if it had anything to do with what was happening to her. With her changing.

He stopped in front of her door, reached for the handle, and paused. No, probably shouldn't just walk in, last time she'd been, well, not that he minded that. In fact he really liked…he shook his head. He was there to find out what was going on with her not to…well, do other things. He knocked on her door. A moment later it opened and she stood in the doorway wearing, well, one of those outfits he really extremely liked. It was the same color as the one she was wearing, well, mostly wearing when he walked in and…now he was thinking about the color violet and wondering…

"So, do you want to come in or were you just going to stand in the hall all night?" she asked, giving him a smile.

He didn't realized she stepped aside to let him in. He smiled and stepped into her room. She closed the door and…wait. Closed the door? No, that was all right, wasn't it? Yes…no…maybe. Violet, lovely color. No. No, no. He shook his head.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He glanced at her.

"Yes. Fine."

"Okay. Did you want something or…"

He'd come there to…um…to…Wait. He was holding something. He glanced at the something he was holding. Tea. That's right. He made her a cuppa.

"Tea?" he asked.

She smiled again, but not just any smile, _that _smile. He glanced from her to the closed door and back. Did she know she was doing that flirty thing? Yes, she had to know.

"Tea?" she asked, folding her arms and tilting her head in that way she used to.

"I thought you might like a cuppa," he replied, leaning against the bedpost, at least that's what he intended, but he misjudged where he was standing and almost fell over on her bed.

She laughed, catching him before he fell onto her bed. He stood up and now she was very, very close. He glanced at the door again.

"Thanks, but isn't it a bit late for tea?" she asked, with that cheeky grin.

He could smell the strawberry shampoo in her hair and he was very aware of her hand on his arm. He cleared his throat, trying to remember what they'd been talking about. Tea. Yes. That's right.

"It's tea," he replied, but the words came out just above a whisper. He cleared his throat again. "It's never too late for tea. Plus, the free radicals are good for you."

"Free radicals?" she asked, tilting her head and smiling.

Her hand ventured from his arm to his chest. He glanced down at it and then back to her eyes. She had to know what she was doing, didn't she?

"Yes…" He cleared his throat again. "…um…remember, Christmas, Sycorax."

"But I'm not a Time Lady," she said.

"No, but you've still got Time Energy."

For a moment she looked worried and that made him worry.

"What? What is it?" he asked, resting his hand on her arm.

Her bare arm that was very soft and…No. No, no, she was worried about something. Now wasn't the time for…things.

"It's um…" she trailed off.

She glanced at him as if she wasn't sure if she should say anything.

"Rose. Tell me," he insisted.

"It's just." She sighed.

She was worried, definitely worried. Was she worried about him? About herself? About what he might think or say? He wasn't sure, but he didn't like that she hesitated to tell him. He cupped her cheek with his other hand and caught her gaze.

"It's all right. Just tell me," he said.

"I thought I did something, like I told you, but I wasn't really sure. Then after talking to Amy I realized I was right. I must have done it, even if I don't know how I did it, but I must have done because she said my eyes changed and then that made me-"

"Rose," he snapped, not really meaning to snap, but she was rambling, and, although he caught everything she said what she said about her eyes changing worried him because he wasn't sure what she meant and he needed to know.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm just worried. No, more than worried because if my eyes changed. I mean, if it's happening again. How can it be happening again?"

He could see worry and fear in her eyes. The fear unsettled him. Happening again? What did she mean?

"Rose, calm down," he said, cupping both her cheeks and then gazing deeply into her hazel eyes, trying to calm her. He felt something and a moment later her realized it was the brush of his mind against hers. He didn't even realize he was doing it, which was dangerous, or, could be dangerous, but she was upset and he needed to find out what happened. If he was careful. Only sent emotions, didn't go looking for things, it should be all right. He felt her relax as he calmed her. "Just tell me what happened."

"I was on one of those medical tables in Malohkeh's laboratory. Those clamps were on my wrists and ankles so I couldn't move and he heard some kind of intruder alarm and ran off, but we were still stuck there and there wasn't any way to get out, but I kept thinking that there has to be a way out. I mean, there's always a way out, yeah? But Mo said there wasn't and that I shouldn't be struggling, but I was trying to get my hands out of the clamps. I had to do something and then the clamps just opened. The ones on my wrists and the ones on my ankles, but not just mine. Amy's and Mo's opened too."

"And you think you opened them?" he asked.

"At first I thought something went wrong with them or maybe someone else opened them, but when I stepped off the table I almost collapsed."

The idea that she almost collapsed worried him to no end. She'd been alone when it happened. Well, Amy had been with her, but he wasn't.

"Collapsed?" he asked.

Then he felt it. What she felt at the time. It rushed through the link he established with her in order to calm her and that shouldn't happen. Definitely shouldn't happen. She shouldn't be able to use his link to connect with him. That was something learned. He almost pulled away, but he knew what severing the link would do. It was dangerous. Dangerous to her and with everything she'd gone through when she was taken, he couldn't chance hurting her.

"Yeah, I felt drained, like completely drained, like I'd run a marathon or something. My legs, my whole body felt weak and that's when I started to think that maybe I'd done something, but then I thought that's completely mental. I mean, how could I have had anything to do with those clamps opening, yeah?" she asked.

She'd done it. He was sure of that. Only, he had no idea how. She shouldn't be able to do things like that and the fact that she could do them concerned him.

"But then Amy mentioned something about your eyes changing?" he asked.

That's what he was most concerned about. He saw her eyes change once. A long time ago and it had nearly killed her. It couldn't be happening again. Couldn't possibly.

"Yeah, she said they…they changed color. They turned gold."

His heart flooded with fear. Gold. That's what happened last time. What he'd been afraid of when she mentioned her eyes changing. How could it be happening again? He'd taken it out of her.

"Gold?" he asked.

"Yeah and, you know, that happened before. That's what you said happened when-"

"You had the power of the Time Vortex inside you."

But how could that be happening? Unless…unless that was what was part of her DNA, but it couldn't be. It was Time Energy. Time Energy from the Time Vortex…but what did that mean?

"But, I mean, I didn't feel anything. Not like what you said happened," she replied.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

So, somehow she accessed the Time Energy inside of her, used it to free herself and Amy, but she hadn't suffered the same consequences she suffered aboard the Game Station. How could that be?

"Yeah, I'm sure. It was…I don't know. I got upset before it happened, but that's all," she said.

Hang on. What?

"Upset?" he asked.

"Mo was irritating me because he kept saying there was no way out and then…" she trailed off, making him think there was more, but she didn't want to tell him the more.

"And then what?" he asked.

"And then I…" she sifted her gaze. Yes, she definitely didn't want to tell him. "Well, I started thinking about, you know, the way you keep telling me things are dangerous and you don't want me to help you."

What? Why would she think that?

"Don't want you to help me?" he asked.

"Yeah, well, that's how it seems," she said. "You're always telling me that you have to do this or that on your own because it's too dangerous, but you didn't act like that before. I mean, we got in loads of danger together. You always wanted me to be safe, but you never told me I couldn't help."

Had he been doing that? Yes, yes he had. Oh. That…that was really not good. He'd been worried about her because of everything she'd been through. Because she was taken and she couldn't remember what happened. He'd been concerned, but he hadn't meant to make her feel like he thought she was helpless or that he didn't want her to help him.

"I never meant to-" he said.

"Well, you might not have meant to, but that's how it feels," she said, a bit snappishly. "I'm not the nineteen year old shop girl who ran away with a mad man in a box. I lived without you for two years on a parallel world." He heard the pain in her voice and it wrenched his hearts. "I worked for Torchwood. I went out on missions on my own. I helped build the dimension cannon to get back to you. I can't go back to being that other girl."

"Rose, I…I'm sorry." He leaned his forehead against hers. He never meant to make her feel like that. "I've just been worried and, you're right. You're not the same girl you were." He pulled back and gazed into her eyes. "You're more than capable of taking care of yourself. I promise I won't do that to you again. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay," she said, giving him a smile.

"So, you got upset, your eyes turned gold, and you were able to open the clamps. All of them."

"Yeah," she replied.

She was able to access the Time Energy inside of her through her emotions. Anger was usually the first emotion used in these cases. It was strong, overwhelming, but using anger to access the power inside of her was really not good. He'd rather she never used her new ability again. It was one more change and he really didn't like that.

"Doctor, what's happening to me?" she asked and he could hear the fear in her voice.

Her fear banished everything else.

"I don't know," he said and pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her. "I don't know, but I'll figure this out. I'll stop it."

She knew she was changing. He could feel it, inside her mind and she was scared, but he wouldn't lose her, wouldn't let her lose herself.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	49. It's All You

The Doctor leaned back against the console, lost in thought. Rose was in bed, sleeping. Had been for a couple hours. He hadn't scanned her with his sonic like he intended. She'd still been a bit upset when he left and he decided to let her get some sleep, but now he was regretting waiting to run another scan.

He could've been trying to figure out how to stop her from changing while she slept, but he was resigned to looking over the first scan. Without having anything to compare it to he was stuck. A loud popping noise and a flash of light drew his attention. River appeared to his left standing near the console.

"What?" he exclaimed, turning to her.

"Hello, sweetie," she said.

"How the hell did you get into my TARDIS?" he demanded.

She merely smiled and lifted her wrist to show him the device.

"Vortex Manipulator," she replied, offhandedly.

What? He glanced at the device. He knew what they were, but using one to get into his TARDIS…that wasn't possible.

"You can't get into my TARDIS with a Vortex Manipulator," he insisted.

"Obviously I can because here I am," she said with a shrug.

"No, no. It's not possible. There are shields and systems and other things to keep that from happening. Not to mention the fact that she's floating in the Time Vortex."

River laughed.

"I'd say you're wrong about that."

He closed the distance between them. How the hell had she done that? She shouldn't be able to do that. He could get in and out of his TARDIS that way, but no one else should be able to. It didn't make any sense. He eyed her.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Spoilers," she said, giving him a smile that he absolutely loathed.

He stared her down for a moment, but she wasn't going to answer him. He stepped back and leaned against the console folding his arms.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"You're in a mood," she replied, crossing over to the console.

He turned, watching her, not at all liking that she was anywhere near his console. Every time she showed up she complicated things. At least Rose was in bed so she couldn't do anymore of that getting inside Rose's head and giving her ideas thing River liked to do.

"I thought you said we wouldn't see you until the Pandorica opens," he said.

"No, I said I wouldn't see Rose until then," River replied, glancing at him. "You on the other hand could do with my help."

"Help?" he scoffed.

River's help was the last thing he wanted.

"At least, that's what my friend said," she replied.

Wait. What? Someone sent her there? Who would do that?

"Friend? What friend?" he inquired.

She smiled.

"Spoilers. Is this one of the scans you ran on Rose?" she asked, stepping over to the monitor.

"Yes, of course-" He stopped and eyed the woman.

River. She would know what was going on. She was their future. Rose's future. He almost forgot because he'd been wrapped up in thinking about how much he disliked her.

"Must be a very early scan," she replied.

Very early. He glanced at the scan. What did she…wait. So he was right. Rose was changing and she'd continue to change. There had to be a way to keep it from happening.

"How do I stop it?" he asked.

River glanced at him, raising her brow.

"Stop it? Stop what?" she inquired, as if she had no idea what he was talking about. She was obviously being evasive. Maybe she didn't want him to stop it, but he really didn't care what she wanted.

"Stop her from changing," he replied.

She laughed and then paused, eyeing him.

"You're serious," she said.

"Of course I'm serious. She's changing. She's doing things she shouldn't be able to do. It's not right."

Rose was human. At least, she was supposed to be human. He had to find a way to change her back. To stop her from becoming…whatever she was turning into.

"Why?" River asked.

"Why what?" he inquired, not sure if she was asking why Rose was changing or why he wanted to stop it.

"Why isn't it right?"

Wasn't that obvious? She wasn't supposed to change.

"Because she's…she's Rose. She's human," he said.

River laughed.

"She hasn't been human since she looked into the heart of the TARDIS to save you," she explained.

How did she know about that? Then he remembered. River was best friends with future Rose. She must have been told. That reinforced his theory of when it happened.

"But there has to be a way to stop it," he insisted.

"Why would you want to stop it?" she asked.

He already explained that. At least, he thought he did.

"Because she's Rose."

"And?"

"And she's changing." River laughed. He eyed her, growing angry in his impatience. Why wouldn't she just tell him. If she knew what Rose was becoming then she ought to know why he wanted to stop it. "This isn't a joke, River. This is serious. She's changing and she's going to keep changing."

"You idiot," she replied, shaking her head.

"Sorry?" he snapped, anger winning out.

Not only was she refusing to help, she called him an idiot. Who the hell did she think she was?

"You think she's going to change. Become someone else."

"Yes. Exactly, but I'm going to stop it before that happens."

"You can't stop it."

Fear gripped his hearts. Couldn't stop it? He had to stop it. Hang on. Was she saying that because she didn't want him to stop it?

"What?" he asked.

"It's part of who she is now. You can't change that and I wouldn't want you to. You can't take that away from her or from you."

Wait. Him? Why would he be taking something away from himself by stopping Rose from changing? That…that didn't make any sense.

"Me?" he asked.

"Spoilers," she replied, giving him a smile and now, now anger completely won out.

He closed the distance between them, glaring daggers into her eyes.

"River!" he growled. "You can't do that! You have to tell me!" She eyed him defiantly and after a few moments he realized she wasn't going to be forced into revealing more. He sighed, rubbing his forehead and then looked at her. "Just…just tell me what's going to happen to her. What she's going to become."

"She's going to become who she is," River replied.

What was that? Some kind of riddle? He hated riddles. He growled in frustration, slamming his fist into the console, but she didn't back off, didn't even seemed bothered by the display.

"River!" he yelled.

"Doctor," she replied.

Oh, how he loathed her. She knew. He could tell that she did, but she wouldn't tell him what he wanted to know. He eyed her.

"What's she like, in the future?" he asked. "Can you at least tell me that?"

"Rose is Rose. Same as she's always been."

"What the hell does that mean?" he snapped.

"It means, Doctor, she's still the same as she's always been. This…" she gestured at the monitor. "Is you."

Him? What the hell did she mean by that.

"Sorry?" he asked.

"This is all you. Yes, Rose is going to change, is changing now. She's coming into who she is, not what she is, _who_ she is because she's different, not entirely human, but she's still human, still the woman you love, but this fear you have." She glanced from the monitor to him. "This need to keep her the same. That's all you." Need to keep her the same? What the hell was River talking about? "You're trying to find a reason to keep distance between you two, a reason to keep her just out of reach." No, he wasn't…was he? "First it was because she was human, then you thought she was going to die, then you were afraid and there was the meta-crisis, your perfect exit plan, but now you have her back, but you still can't let yourself cross that line. So, here's your reasoning." She pointed at the monitor. "She's changing, but Doctor that's what we do, what we all do, even you, we change. Rose is changing, but she's not becoming something else." Was he trying to keep Rose from changing? Well, he was, but was if for the same reasons River spoke of? "What she needs right now is your help, your support, not your fear. If you're so afraid of losing her that you won't allow yourself to be with her while she's here then, Doctor, you've already lost her."

Before he could question her further she used her Vortex Manipulator and in the next moment she was gone. He glanced at the scan mulling over River's words. He'd gotten his answer. Rose was changing, but in the end she'd still be Rose, only different. He reached up and turned off the monitor. River was right. Rose needed him, not his fear, not his worry, but him. Her new abilities were similar to his. He could help her, had to help her because without someone to guide her, she would change, would become someone else.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)**


	50. Vincent And The Doctor Part 1

Rose held the Doctor's hand as they led Amy through the museum. She had talked to him about the girl's visit to her room. She told him about her suspicions that Amy was grieving without realizing it. So, he decided their best course of action was to take Amy's mind off things. Spend a few days taking her to places they thought she'd enjoy instead of running for their lives.

They passed an older man wearing glasses and a suit with a bow tie. The man was explaining about the paintings to a group of people. He seemed to be some sort of tour guide for the museum.

"Thanks for bringing me," Amy said, glancing from Rose to the Doctor.

"You're welcome," he replied, giving the girl a smile.

"You're being so nice to me." Amy gave them a teasing look. "Why are you two being so nice to me?"

Wait. Why was she asking that? The Doctor glanced at Rose, giving her a worried look that she returned. The last thing she wanted was for the girl to question them.

"We're always nice to you," he defended.

"You know what I mean. These places you're taking me. Arcadia, the Trojan Gardens, now this," Amy said, leaning toward them. "I think it's suspicious."

Suspicious? That was bad. As the Doctor would say…really not good.

"What?" he exclaimed, giving Rose that worried look again. "It's not."

"There's nothing to be suspicious about, Amy," Rose protested.

"Okay," the girl said, putting her hands up. "I was joking." Then Amy paused, as if she just figured something out and eyed them. "Why aren't you two?"

The Doctor turned his attention to the tour guide. Rose followed suit, hoping to distract the girl.

"Each of these pictures now is worth tens of millions of pounds," Rose gave Amy a sideways glance. The girl was watching the tour guide. Good. It worked, "yet in his lifetime he was a commercial disaster. Sold only one painting, and that to the sister of a friend. We have here possibly the greatest artist of all time, but when he died you could have sold his entire body of work and got about enough money to buy a sofa and a couple of chairs," the man explained. Some of the people in the group laughed. "If you follow me now."

The man led the group away.

"Look," Amy exclaimed, grabbing the Doctor's other hand and dragging both him and Rose over to a painting of the Church at Auvers. She held her guidebook picture up, next to the original. "There it is. The actual one."

"Yes," the Doctor said. "You can almost feel his hand painting it right in front of you," he glanced at Rose and they shared a smile, "carving the colors into shapes."

Rose looked at the painting. Hang on. There was something in one of the windows. A face? It looked like it might be.

"What is that?" she asked, glancing from the painting to the Doctor and then back..

He leaned forward, looking at the face.

"What?" Amy inquired, glancing at her.

"Oh," he mused. "Just look at that."

There was something about the face, like the face of a monster, and it sent a chill down her spine.

"What?" Amy asked again, gazing at the painting.

"Something very not good indeed," he said.

"What thing very not good-" Amy began.

"Right there," Rose interrupted, pointing at the face, "in the window of the church."

Amy leaned toward the painting, looking at the window.

"Is it a face?" the girl asked.

"Yes," the Doctor replied, glancing at her. "And not a nice face at all. I know evil when I see it and I see it in that window."

He turned and walked across the room toward the tour guide. Rose followed next to Amy. The moment she saw that face she knew their vacation was over.

"It has changed hands for something in the region of twenty-" the man explained.

"Excuse me. If I can just interrupt for one second," the Doctor interrupted, pulling out his psychic paper and showing it to the group. "Sorry, everyone. Routine inspection," he eyed the man. "Ministry of Art and Artiness." Rose grinned. "So, uh…"

"Doctor Black," the man provided.

"Yes, that's right." He gestured at the painting. "Do you know when that picture of the church was painted?"

Dr. Black glanced at the painting.

"Ah, well, ah, well, what an interesting question. Most people imagine-" Dr. Black began.

"I'm going to have to hurry you. When was it?" he asked.

The man turned his attention back to the Doctor.

"Exactly?"

"As exactly as you can. Without a long speech, if possible I'm in a hurry."

She glanced at Amy, grinning and the girl smiled back. The Doctor asking someone to give him an answer without a long speech was just too much.

"Well, in that case, probably somewhere between the first and third of June," Dr. Black replied.

"What year?" he asked.

"1890. Less than a year before, before he killed himself."

"Thank you, sir." The Doctor nodded. "Very helpful indeed." He pointed at the man's bow tie. "Nice bow-tie." He glanced at Amy and then Rose. She laughed, shaking her head. "Bow-ties are cool."

"Yours is very…" Dr. Black commented.

"Oh, thank you," he said, with a smile and then clapped Dr. Black on the arm. "Keep telling them stuff." He turned around and took Rose's hand while shoving Amy ahead of them. "We need to go."

"What about the other pictures?" the girl protested.

"Art can wait. This is life and death." He gave Amy another shove toward the stairs. "We need to talk to Vincent Van Gogh."

**-0-**

As soon as the TARDIS materialized the Doctor raced to the door and stepped out followed by Rose. She heard Amy follow a moment later. They were standing in a dark, narrow alley in 1890.

"Right," the Doctor said, looking down the alley, first one way and then the other, "so, here's the plan." He glanced at her, took her hand and then started leading her and Amy down the alley. "We find Vincent and he leads us straight to the church and our nasty friend."

"Easy peas-y," Amy said.

Rose laughed. Nothing was every easy, especially when it seemed like it should be easy. That's usually when they ran into the biggest complications.

"Easy?" she asked, catching the Doctor's eye.

"Well, no," he admitted. "I suspect nothing will be easy with Mister Van Gogh. Now," he lifted his hand, which was still holding hers and glanced at his watch, "he'll probably be in the local café. Sort of orangey light," he glanced at Amy who was still holding her museum book. The girl flipped through the pages, "chairs and tables outside."

"Like this?" Amy asked, showing them a picture of a café painting.

"That's the one," he agreed.

"Or indeed like that," the girl said, pointing at a café a few paces away from them.

There were two women outside in maid type uniforms cleaning off tables.

"Exactly like that," Rose said, giving Amy a smile that the girl returned.

The Doctor walked toward the café and Rose fell into step beside him.

"Good evening. Does the name Vincent Van Gogh ring a bell?" he asked, drawing up to a man in a suit who stood near the open café door.

"Don't mention that man to me," the bloke replied as he turned and walked through the door.

"Excuse me," the Doctor said, watching the man disappear.

Rose turned her attention to the two women, cleaning tables.

"Do you know Vincent Van Gogh?" she asked.

"Unfortunately," one of the women replied.

"Unfortunately?" the Doctor inquired, walking over to stand next to them.

"He's a drunk, he's mad and he never pays his bills."

"Sounds like some of the blokes my friend Shareen dated," Rose whispered.

The Doctor caught her eye and smiled, then turned back to the woman.

"Good painter, though, eh?" he asked.

Both women started laughing. It seemed Dr. Black was right about no one appreciating Vincent in his time.

"Come on! Come on!" A man called from inside the café. The Doctor pulled out a chair at one of the tables and then indicated for Rose to sit. She gave him a smile that he returned and then sat down. He grabbed another chair, turned it around, and sat down next to her. "One painting for one drink. That's not a bad deal."

"It wouldn't be a bad deal if the painting were any good," the man in the suit replied, walking out the door holding a painting of Vincent Van Gogh with another man following him who couldn't be mistaken for anyone other than the actual Vincent Van Gogh. The Doctor and Rose gestured excitedly at Amy who lifted her hands and gave them a thumbs up. Then she caught the Doctor's eye and they shared an excited smile. The actual, real life, Vincent Van Gogh. "I can't hang that up on my walls. It'd scare the customers half to death. It's bad enough having you in here in person, let alone looming over the customers day and night in a stupid hat. You pay money or you get out."

The man had to be the manager or maybe the owner.

"I'll pay, if you like," the Doctor offered.

"What?" Vincent asked, turning around and eyeing him.

"Well, if you like, I'll pay for the drink. Or I'll pay for the painting and you can use the money to pay for the drink," he said.

"Exactly who are you?" Vincent asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Oh, we're…" he glanced at Rose and then back to Vincent, "…new in town."

"Well, in that case, you don't know three things. One, I pay for my own drinks, thank you." The manager and both women laughed. Vincent glanced at them and then back to the Doctor. "Two, no one ever buys any of my paintings or they would be laughed out of town." Vincent glanced at the manager, who nodded. "So if you want to stay in town, I suggest you keep your cash to yourself. And three, your friends are cute, but you should keep your big nose out of other people's business." Vincent turned back to the manager. "Come on, just one more drink. I'll pay tomorrow."

"No," the manager insisted.

"Or, on the other hand, slightly more compassionately, yes?"

"Or, on the other hand, to protect my business from madmen, no."

"Or-" Vincent began, shoving his painting into the man's hands.

"Oh, look," Amy said, "just shut up, the pair of you." The girl walked towards them, eyeing the manager. "I would like a bottle of wine, please, which I will then share with whomever," Amy eyed Vincent, "I choose."

The girl was good. Rose grinning, glancing at the Doctor. He smiled.

"That could be good," Vincent agreed.

"That's good by me," the manager said.

"Good," Amy said.

**-0-**

The Doctor sat next to Rose at a table in the café. Vincent was on one side and Amy the other, directly across from each other. He wanted to get on with things. Find that creature, figure out what it was, and stop it because he was sure it was up to something. Something really not good.

"That accent of yours. You from Holland like me?" Vincent asked, eyeing Amy.

"Holland?" Rose inquired.

Oh. That was really not good either.

"Yes," the Doctor said.

"No," Amy replied at the exact same time.

He glanced at Amy and then back to Vincent.

"She means yes," he corrected. "So, start again." He held his hand out to Vincent. "Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"I knew it!" the man exclaimed.

What? Why was he upset?

"Sorry?" he asked, not sure what Vincent meant.

"My brother's always sending doctors, but you won't be able to help."

Oh. That's why he was upset.

"Oh, no," he glanced at Rose, giving her a smile and she laughed, "not that kind of doctor." He laughed and then caught sight of one of Vincent's paintings. "That's incredible," He glanced from Rose to Amy, pointing the painting out, "don't you two think?"

"One of my favorites," Amy replied.

"Yeah, mine too," Rose agreed.

"One of your favorite what?" Vincent asked, eyeing Rose and then Amy, suspiciously. "Neither of you have seen my work before."

First the Holland thing and now this. He shook his head. Amy glanced at Rose and then picked up her wine.

"One of our favorite paintings that…" the girl trailed off, glancing at Rose.

"We've ever seen-" she supplied.

"Generally," Amy finished, taking a drink of her wine.

He smiled, shaking his head again. Rose glanced at him and grinned.

"Then you two can't have seen many paintings, then." The man lifted his painting, looking it over and then sat it down. "I know it's terrible. It's the best I can do." The man had no idea that he was to become one of the greatest painters who ever lived. Vincent gazed at Amy for a moment. "Your hair's orange."

The girl leaned forward.

"Yes. So's yours," Amy replied.

He rolled his eyes. Really?

"Yes. It was more orange, but now is, of course, less."

The Doctor sighed, growing annoyed in his impatience. Rose slapped his arm and eyed him. _What? _He mouthed. She glanced at Amy and then back to him. He rolled his eyes. They didn't have time for this and it was unnecessary. He turned to Vincent.

"So," he said, ignoring Rose's glare as he sat forward. "Uh, Vincent, painted any churches recently?" Amy sat back as the man caught his gaze. "Any churchy plans? Are churches, chapels, religious-y stuff like that, something you'd like to get into? You know, fairly soon?"

"Well, there is one church I'm thinking of painting when the weather is right," Vincent replied.

"That's good," Rose said.

"Yes. Very good news," the Doctor replied.

A woman burst into the café.

"She's been murdered! Help me!" the woman yelled.

"That, on the other hand," he said, looking at the woman, "isn't quite such good news." He took Rose's hand and pulled her up and then raced across the room. "Come on, Amy, Vincent!"

He raced down the street after the woman with Rose beside him. The woman turned into an alley and he followed.

"She's been ripped to shreds!" a man called near a group of people.

He released her hand as they drew close.

"Please, let me look. I'm a doctor," he said, stopping near the body.

"Who is it?" one of the onlookers asked, but he ignored them.

It was a girl's body. Young. She was dead. There wasn't anything he could do.

"Oh no, no, no," he whispered, bending down.

"Is she…?" Rose asked, trailing off.

He glanced at her. She was bending down next to him. This was definitely not something she needed to see.

"Rose, don't-" he said, putting his arm out to stop her.

"Away, all of you vultures," a woman insisted. "This is my daughter." The woman bent down, pushing people away. "Giselle." The woman bent over the body. He put his hand on her back. "What monster could have done this? Get away from her!"

The woman swatted at him and Rose.

"Okay," he said, standing up. Rose stood with him. "Okay."

"Get that madman out of here!" the woman growled, picking up a stone and throwing it at Vincent.

Other people began throwing stones as well. He grabbed Rose's hand and pulled Amy out in front of them as they turned and ran down the alley after Vincent.

"You bring this on us. Your madness! You!" the woman shouted.

"He's to blame!" a man called.

He ran down the alley and into a side street. When they were clear they stopped. He glanced at Vincent. Worried because he knew how fragile the man was.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm used to it," Vincent replied.

"Used to it? No one should be treated like that," Rose said.

He glanced at her, smiling and then turned back to Vincent.

"Has anything like this murder happened here before?" he asked.

"Only a week ago. It's a terrible time," the man replied.

"As I thought," the Doctor said, glancing at Rose and taking her hand as he started down the alley. "As I thought. Come on," he glanced back at Vincent, "we'd better get you home."

"Where are you staying tonight?" the man asked.

He smiled, clapping Vincent on the shoulder.

"Oh, you're very kind," he replied then he glanced at Rose and they shared a smile before he headed down the alley with her.

**-0-**

Vincent led the way toward his small cottage. The Doctor looked around and then up at the night sky. The stars were clearly visible.

"Dark night," he said and then glanced at Rose, giving her a smile she returned. "Very starry."

"It's beautiful," she replied.

Yes, it was, but not nearly as beautiful as her. He gave her hand a squeeze.

"It's not much," Vincent said, drawing up to his cottage. "I live on my own. But you should be okay for one night." The man glanced at them and then lit the lantern above his door. "One night."

"We're going to stay with him?" Amy asked, excitedly.

"Until he paints that church," the Doctor replied.

"Watch out," Vincent said, indicating one of his paintings hanging outside his cottage. "That one's wet."

"What?" Amy asked, gazing at the painting.

Vincent stepped inside and he followed, bringing Rose along with him. The man walked over to one of the lanterns and lit it. Amy stepped inside a few moments later.

"Sorry about all the clutter," Vincent said.

"Some clutter," he commented.

The Doctor gazed around the room and at Rose. She was smiling, marveling at all the paintings. He watched her a moment and couldn't help smiling at the wonder in her eyes. He put his arm around her, unconsciously as he looked at the paintings with her.

"I've come to accept the only person who's going to love my paintings is me," Vincent said.

"Wow," Amy said. He glanced at her as she gazing around the room and then at Rose. The girls shared a smile and then Amy turned back to the paintings. "I mean, really. Wow."

"Right?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, I know it's a mess," Vincent said. "I'll have a proper clear out. I must, I really must." The man walked across the room. "Coffee, anyone?"

"Not for me, actually," he said.

"I'll," Rose said, glancing over her shoulder. "Vincent, don't…"

He turned around as Vincent sat the pot on a painting. Oh. That was really not good.

"You know," he said, "you should be careful with these. Th-They're," Vincent wiped the stain off created by the pot, but only managed to smear it even more, "precious."

He sighed.

"Precious to me. Not precious to anyone else," Vincent replied.

"They're precious to me," Amy called, poking her head into the room and eyeing the man.

"Well, you're very kind. And kindness is most welcome."

They were going to start that flirting thing again. He couldn't have that.

"Right," he said glancing from Vincent to Amy and then back. "So, this church, then. Near here, is it?"

Vincent reached up and pulled some firewood out of a nook in the wall.

"What is it with you and the church?" the man asked.

"Oh, just casually interested in it, you know."

"Far from casual." Vincent walked over to the fireplace and set the logs down. "It seems to me you never talk about anything else." The man eyed Rose. "He's a strange one."

"One track mind," Rose replied, glancing at the Doctor. "He gets a bit fixated." She shot Vincent a smile. "Last week it was all about graveyards and blue grass this week it's churches next week it'll be something else."

The Doctor gazed at her for a moment. Was she teasing or being serious? He couldn't tell. Fixated? He didn't…did he?

"Okay, so, let's talk about you, then," he said. "What are you interested in?"

"Well, look around." Vincent indicated his paintings. "Art." The man glanced from him to Rose. "It seems to me there's so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see." Amy drew up next to them. Vincent looked at her. "I believe, if you look hard, there are more wonders in this universe than you could ever have dreamed of."

The Doctor glanced at Rose and they shared a smile.

"You don't have to tell us," he said.

An hour and another pot of coffee later. The Doctor sat in a chair next to the fire as Vincent went on about color and nature.

"It's color. Color that holds the key," the man ranted. "I can hear the colors. Listen to them." Vincent stopped, as if listening. The Doctor listened, but didn't hear anything. "Every time I step outside, I feel nature is shouting at me. Come on. Come and get me. Come on. Come on!" The man grabbed his lapels and shook him. "Capture my mystery!"

He gazed into Vincent's eyes. The man was far too worked up. Far, far too worked up.

"Maybe you've had enough coffee now. How about some nice calming tea?" he asked. Vincent released his lapels. "Let's get you a cup of chamomile or something, shall we?" He gazed around the room. There wasn't anyone else there. Wait. "Rose. Amy. Where are they?"

Suddenly Amy screamed.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled.

He was on his feet in the next moment. Fear coursing through his hearts. They'd gone outside on their own in the middle of the night. Anything could've happened.

"No, no, no!" he shouted, racing for the door with Vincent right behind him.

"Rose? Amy?" he yelled, running out into the dark courtyard. Amy was on the ground, on her knees. Rose was crouched down next to her in that concerned sort of way. He raced up to them. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I didn't see it," Amy said.

"We were having a look at the paintings out here when something hit her from behind," Rose explained, helping the girl up.

Someone attacked Amy? He glanced around the courtyard. It was empty. Whoever hit Amy was gone now.

"It's okay. He's gone now and we're here," the Doctor said.

"Doctor, I…I don't think it's gone," she replied and something in her voice gave him pause.

"Sorry?" he asked. "What do you-"

"No! No!" Vincent shouted, backing up.

The man was backing away, looking at them with fear in his eyes. What happened? What was wrong with him?

"Take it easy," the Doctor said. "Take it easy!"

"What's happening? What's he doing?" Amy asked.

Vincent grabbed a large forked branch of wood.

"I don't know." Vincent brandished the branch at them. What the hell was he doing? "Oh, dear." The man ran toward them. The Doctor pushed Amy one way and pulled Rose with him as he ducked the other.

"Run," Vincent insisted, waving at them. "Run!"

"Yeah," he agreed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." The man must be having some sort of fit or something. "That's not a bad idea." He glanced at the girls. "Amy, Rose, get back. He's having some kind of fit." He walked closer to the man. "I'll try to calm him down."

"Doctor," Rose said.

"Rose, just stay back." He moved closer to Vincent as the man waved the branch around wildly. "Easy, Vincent, easy." The man spun around, brandishing the branch at him. "Look. Look, look, look." He put his hands up. "It's me, it's me, it's me. It's the Doctor, look. No one else is here."

"Doctor, something else is-" Rose began.

"Vincent," he said.

"Look out!" the man shouted.

In the next moment something struck him hard enough to send him flying a few feet. He landed on the ground and lay there for a moment. What the hell happened? Something…something hit him. Something he couldn't see.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled, running over to him. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, just…" he trailed off as she helped him up.

"I told you I didn't think it was gone."

Yes, she had, hadn't she? But how did she know?

"I can't see anything. What is it?" Amy yelled, fearfully.

"That is a good question," he said, grabbing two large sticks and handing one to Rose. She grinned as she took it and he gave her a smile. "Let us help you."

He raced over to Vincent with Rose beside him.

"You can see him, too?" the man asked.

He raced around the outside table, stabbing at the air.

"Yes…ish. Well, no. Not really." He glanced at Rose who was next to Vincent. "Can you see him, Rose?"

"No, I just know there's something here," she said.

She just knew? What did that…Something struck the Doctor in the chest and he flew over the table, landing at Rose's feet.

"You couldn't see him," Vincent said.

"Ow," he panted, looking up at Rose. She laughed. He glowered at her. He'd been thrown over a table and she was laughing. "No." The invisible creature roared. He jumped to his feet. "Oi!"

He ran toward the noise, swinging the branch around.

"Doctor," Rose called.

"He's gone," Vincent said as the Doctor swung the stick around again.

Rose and Amy stood to either side of the man.

"Oh, right," he panted. "Yes." He flung the branch on the ground. "Of course." He crossed the yard, shooting Rose a glare as he passed her because she was laughing again and he was fairly sure it was at his expense. It wasn't his fault he couldn't see or sense the creature. He wasn't entirely sure how she knew it was there. "Right," he said, stepping into Vincent's cottage as he combed through his hair. "So he's invisible." He flopped into the chair next to the fire where he'd been sitting before the creature appeared. "What did he look like?"

Vincent grabbed one of his paintings and a brush.

"I'll show you," the man said, painting over the painting.

"Vincent!" Rose yelled.

"Oh, no, no. No, no!" the Doctor exclaimed, jumping up and crossing the room, but it was too late. The painting was destroyed.

"What?" the man asked, eyeing him.

"It's just, uh, that was quite a good…" He glanced at Rose who mirrored his feelings then back to the ruined painting. "Oh, no. On you go." He waited while Vincent drew a picture of the creature. And waited. And waited. He stood up, paced a bit. And waited. How long did it…the man glanced at him and then handed over the painting. "Okay." He wasn't sure what it was, but it definitely looked like the creature in the window of that church. "Okay." Now he had to sort out what it was, which meant he had to go out there where the creature was and make it back to the TARDIS, which would be not entirely safe. "Right." He glanced at Amy. "You two…" Then Rose. She folded her arms, eyeing him. "um…" There was no way she'd stay behind and he did tell her he wouldn't do that to her anymore. Why had he told her that? Stupid Doctor. He caught Amy's gaze. "Amy, make Mister Van Gogh comfortable. Don't let any invisible monsters in through the front door."

He grabbed Rose's hand and turned around, or was going to before Amy grabbed his other arm, the one he held the painting in.

"But it could be outside, waiting," the girl protested.

"We'll be fine," Rose said.

"What's the worst that can happen?" he asked, glancing from Rose to Amy.

"You two could get torn to pieces by a monster you can't see," the girl replied.

"Oh right, yes, that."

"We'll be fine, Amy. Really," Rose said.

He glanced at her and they shared a smile before he turned his attention back to the girl.

"Yes. Exactly," he insisted. "We'll be back before you can say where've they got to now?" He turned and walked out the door with Rose's hand in his.

"So, where are we off to?" she asked as they walked back toward the café and the TARDIS.

"To find out exactly what sort of creature this is."

He held up the painting. She glanced at the drawing of the creature.

"And how are we going to do that?"

They walked through the alley where the girl's body had been and a moment later the café came into view.

"I've got something in the TARDIS that ought to do."

"It's here," she said, pulling him to a stop.

"What's here?" he asked, looking around and fairly sure he knew exactly what she was referring to, but hoping he was wrong.

"That creature, it's here somewhere."

"But you can't see it?" he asked.

"No, it's…I don't know…it's like I can sense it."

"Okay. Helpful, but not so helpful," he replied, pulling the key from his inside pocket. "Hurry."

He pulled her up to the door, unlocked it and shoved her inside first. Then he stepped in and closed the door.

**-0-**

The Doctor had been digging through trunks for some time. Rose wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for beyond the vague description of a gadget-y thing someone gave him as a present.

"Right," he said, grabbing a shirt from inside the trunk and tossing it over his shoulder onto the control room floor. "It's got to be in here somewhere." Next went a blue book, landing near the console. "I thought it was just a useless gadget. An embarrassing present from a dull godmother," Hang on. A what now? Another shirt sailed through the air, "with two heads and bad breath." He picked up some sort of device with a rearview mirror attached to it. He cradled the device. Was that what he'd been looking for? "Twice." He raced over to the console. She hurried after him. "How wrong can a man be?"

He sat the device on the console.

"A godmother with two heads?" she asked.

He glanced at her and then back to the device.

"And bad breath. Twice," he replied.

She laughed.

"What is it?" she asked, leaning on the console.

He reached for a wire on the console and plugged it into the device. Then he stared in the mirror and stuck his tongue out, making her laugh again.

"A gadget-y thing, didn't I say?" The device dinged and then a paper printed out of the typewriter, at least it looked like an old typewriter. "Good." The paper had a picture of the Doctor…one of his previous incarnations, then another, then another. "Okay, you're working." He picked up Vincent's drawing and held it in front of the mirror. "Now, see what you make of this. Who is that?"

The device dinged and a parrot appeared in the mirror. She grinned.

"Somehow I don't think that's the monster," she said.

"No, I know it's not that," he replied, glancing at her. "There are thousands of them and you can see them plain as day." The device dinged again and a picture of a polar bear appeared. Rose laughed. "No. Definitely not." He caught her gaze, annoyed. "This is the problem with the impressionists. Not accurate enough." He glanced away. "This would never happen with Gainsborough or one of those proper painters." She slapped his arm. "Oi!" He eyed her.

"Rude," she snapped.

"Yes, well..." He rubbed his arm. Then he picked up the drawing and looked at it. "He's going to have to draw something better." He tossed the drawing behind his head and onto the floor. Then he picked up the gadget-y thing and attached it around his waist, so the mirror was near his shoulder and showed what was behind him. "Come along then."

He walked to the TARDIS doors and opened one. Rose followed him out. The moment she stepped out she could sense the creature. It was there, somewhere.

"Doctor," she said, but at that moment the device dinged.

"That's better, old girl." He fiddled with the dial. "Time delay, but you always get it right in the end." He repositioned the mirror. "Good. Let's find out who this is, then." He flipped a lever. "Well, well, there you are."

"Doctor," she tried again, but he was too busy with his gadget-y thing to pay attention.

"Oh, you poor thing. You brutal, murderous, abandoned thing. I hope we meet again soon so I can take you home."

"Doctor," she grabbed his arm to get his attention because she noticed something, a reflection in the mirror and a not very nice reflection. "It's here."

"Sorry?" He glanced up in time to see the creature in the mirror and not a picture of the creature, but the actual creature, standing behind them. It roared. "Maybe not that soon."

He grabbed Rose's hand and dashed down the alley. He pulled her next to a building and used the mirror to check. The creature was still coming. He ran back into the alley with her, then released her hand to turn over anything he could find. She helped him, turning over barrels, tables, poles, bikes, everything and anything. Then he grabbed her hand and ducked next to the side of a building. He glanced back into the alley, carefully. A moment later they heard the creature move away. He sighed in relief, catching Rose's gaze and smiling, which told her the creature was gone. She let out her own sigh and then grinned. He gave her hand a squeeze then stepped back into the alley and directly in front of Amy. He screamed, Amy screamed, and Rose yelled.

"Never do that!" he shouted, glancing from Amy to Rose and back to Amy. "You scared the living daylights out of us."

"Sorry, I got bored," Amy said. "As much as you admire his command of color and shape it is hard to get fond of Vincent Van Gogh's snoring."

Rose couldn't help laughing.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


	51. Vincent And The Doctor Part 2

Sorry for the delay in updating. Things got away from me.

Also, put together a Doctor/Rose video. Nothing related to my fics yet, but maybe in the future. You can watch the video on youtube at =H3Ip8Afp4-A if you like. :)

* * *

The Doctor headed up the stairs to Vincent's room. He gave the man the night to sleep, but he really wanted to get on with things. Find that creature and return him home before he killed any more innocent people.

Amy and Rose set up breakfast in the courtyard at the girl's request. She really was taken with the famous painter and that was something the Doctor wasn't at all enthused with, not that he didn't like Vincent because he did, but Amy was meant to be with Rory. Only she didn't remember the man she was going to marry and there wasn't anything he could do about that.

"Wakey, wakey," he called, opening the door. Vincent startled awake. He stepped into the room. "Rise and shine! Breakfast is served in the courtyard." He walked over and opened the shutters to let the sunlight in. "Whoa! What a morning." He turned around, paused, eyeing Vincent who was still lying in the bed. He clapped his hands to hurry the man up. "Come on." The man started to get up so he stepped out the door. "Amy and Rose have a little surprise for you."

He walked down the stairs and noticed the man leaning out the window, gazing down at Amy in the courtyard, surrounded by sunflowers. Rose was standing near her, but Vincent only had eyes for their friend.

"We thought we'd brighten things up to thank you for saving me last night," Amy said.

"It was Amy's idea," Rose said smiling.

"Ah," the man said, giving Amy a smile.

"I thought you might like, you know, possibly to perhaps paint them or something? Might be a thought," the girl said.

"Yes, well, they're not my favorite flower."

The Doctor paused as he reached the table where Amy was sitting. He glanced up at Vincent. Not his favorite flower? He caught Rose's eye and smiled as she poured a glass of lemonade and handed it to him.

"You don't like sunflowers?" the girl asked.

Amy glanced at Rose and they both laughed.

"No, it's not that I don't like them," Vincent said, reaching out and fingering the petals of one near his window. "I find them complex. Always somewhere between living and dying." The Doctor watched Rose pour herself a glass of lemonade, then she walked over to stand next to him. "Half-human as they turn to the sun. A little disgusting. But, you know, they are a challenge."

"And one I'm pretty sure you'll rise to," he laughed. "But, moving on, there's something I need to show you."

He took Rose's hand and walked toward the cottage with Amy following. Vincent joined them a few moments later and he handed the man a picture of the creature. The one from his gadget-y thing.

"That's him," Vincent exclaimed. "And the eyes, without mercy."

"This is a creature called the Krafayis," the Doctor explained. "They travel in space." He walked over and sat down on the bench seat next to Rose. "They travel as a pack, scavenging across the universe."

"If they travel in packs then how come this one's on his own?" Rose asked.

"Sometimes one of them gets left behind and because they are a brutal race, the others never come back. So, dotted all around the universe are individual, utterly merciless, utterly abandoned Krafayis."

"So, he's all alone?" Rose asked.

He couldn't help smiling. Yes, she understood, she always understood that sort of thing. That's one of the reasons he loved her. Not all humans were like that, but she, she had always been.

"Come on. You can't be feeling sorry for it," Amy said. "You saw what it did to that girl last night."

The girl had a point, but that was the creature's nature and being alone that could…change something or someone.

"To be fair that is what they do," The Doctor said. "Usually, when they're separated, what they do is, well, kill until they're killed. Which they usually aren't. Because other creatures can't see them."

"But I can," Vincent replied.

"Yes. And that's why we are in a unique position today, my friend, to end this reign of terror." He sat forward and eyed the man. "So, feeling like painting the church today?"

"What about the monster?"

As long as Vincent painted the church the creature would be there. Of that he was certain.

"Take my word for it. If you paint it, he will come."

"Okay. I'll get my things."

"In your own time. And I promise you, we'll be out of your hair by this time tomorrow," he said, sitting back and smiling.

He caught Rose's gaze as he put his hand on her leg. Wait. He pulled his hand back, quickly. What? Why…he glanced at her. She was still smiling and…didn't she notice? Must not have. Alright. Avoid doing that again. He sat forward and glanced at Amy who obviously noticed because she was giving him that eyebrows raised _what the hell _sort of look.

"This is risky," he said because it was true and it would take that look off her face before she gave it to Rose and then…

"Riskier than normal?" the girl asked, stepping closer.

"Well, think about it. This is the middle of Vincent Van Gogh's greatest year of painting. If we're not careful, the net result of our pleasant little trip will be the brutal murder of the greatest artist who ever lived."

"Half the pictures on the wall of the Musee D'Orsay will disappear," Rose supplied.

He glanced at her, giving her a smile and had to stop himself from touching her leg again. Good thing she wasn't wearing a skirt…and now he was thinking about that skirt again. He cleared his throat and stood up. He walked over to the fireplace and turned around, eyeing them.

"And it will be our fault," he said.

**-0-**

The Doctor waited on Vincent until he finally grew impatient enough to go looking for the man. He walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.

"Vincent?" he called, wrapping again with both hands, but no one answered. He opened the door, stepped into the room and paused. The man was lying on the bed, crying. Cautiously, he stepped closer. "Vincent, can I help?"

"It's so clear you cannot help. And when you leave, and everyone always leaves," the man said into his pillow and then turned over. "I will be left once more with an empty heart and no hope."

He sat down on the chair near the bed and gazed at the tortured man, wanting to help, but not entirely sure how.

"My experience is that there is, you know, surprisingly, always hope," he said.

Vincent caught his gaze.

"Then your experience is incomplete," the man snapped, looking away. "I know how it will end." Vincent turned back. "And it will not end well."

He knew the man was sensitive and he wouldn't be pushing him if it wasn't important. Somehow he had to get Vincent up and out of bed.

"Come on." He slapped the man's leg. "Come out. Come on, let's go outside."

"Get out!" Vincent yelled. The Doctor stood up and backed off a step. "You get out!" He backed toward the door. Vincent had gone off the edge. He was afraid that might happen. "What are you doing here? What are you doing here?"

"Very well," he said, not entirely sure what set the man off, but it didn't matter. Their presence had obviously upset him. He put his hands up. "I'll leave." He turned toward the door. "I-I'll…leave you."

He walked out the door and stood there a moment. Going there in the first place had been risky. Vincent Van Gogh wasn't just anybody. He was famous. A famous painter in the middle of his greatest year and now his depression had taken hold, probably due to them. He couldn't press the man further.

"Where is he?" Rose asked, walking up the stairs with Amy beside her.

"What's happening?" Amy inquired, glancing from him to the closed door.

"We're leaving," he said, leaning on the railing, glancing out at the courtyard. "Everyone knows he's a delicate man. Just months from now he'll," he glanced at Rose, "he'll take his own life."

"Don't say that. Please," Amy replied in a hushed voice.

Rose put her arm around the girl.

"Doctor," she snapped, eyeing him. He regretted saying it the moment the words were out, but the girl knew. "Amy, it's all right."

He walked down the steps and into the cottage, leaving both of them behind. Somehow he had to find a way to capture that creature so he could return it home before it killed anyone else. If he could see it things would be easier. Hell, if he could sense it, like Rose then they might stand a chance, but he couldn't and she didn't have any control yet, but maybe he'd have to chance it anyway. Only, he couldn't bring himself to chance something happening to her. He slammed his fist into the table as the girls walked into the room.

Rose gave him a suspicious glance and Amy looked…well, startled. He turned around and leaned back against the table as he rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"We have to do this on our own," he said. "Go to the church at the right time and hope the monster still turns up."

"I can sense him, at least," Rose said.

He glanced at her. Yes, he thought about that, but it was too dangerous. Far too dangerous. Only he couldn't say that because then she'd think he was treating her differently again and maybe he was, but, hell, he didn't care. He couldn't lose her. Not again.

"But you can't see him," he pointed out.

At that moment Vincent entered wearing his coat and hat.

"I'm ready," the man said, picking up a paintbrush. "Let's go."

**-0-**

Rose walked down the dirt road arm and arm with the Doctor. Even though they were about to find a dangerous creature, risk their lives, and probably do a lot of running, she couldn't help loving this. Just being there with the Doctor and Amy. Being back. She caught the Doctor's sideways glance and his smile, most likely because she was grinning, but she couldn't help it.

"See? It all worked out," she said.

"I knew it would," he replied, as if he knew that all along, which, she knew, he didn't. She eyed him. "Well, perhaps I was just a tad worried."

"A tad?"

She raised her brow.

"I'm sorry you're so sad," Amy said, interrupting them.

Vincent and the girl were leading the way to the church.

"But I'm not," Vincent said, "Sometimes these moods torture me for weeks, for months. But I'm good now. If Amy Pond can soldier on," the man took the girls hand, "then so can Vincent Van Gogh."

Soldier on? Well, yes, the girl seemed sad at times and Rose knew why, but she couldn't tell her. The Doctor thought it would be too dangerous for her to find out, and, as he put it, what good would it do. She didn't have the memories, not anymore.

Vincent didn't know any of that, but it wasn't surprising that he was perceptive like that, not after listening to him talk about nature and art.

"I'm not soldiering on. I'm fine," Amy protested, laughing at the end as if the idea was completely absurd.

"Oh, Amy." Vincent caught her gaze as they walked. "I hear the song of your sadness. You've lost someone, I think."

Very perceptive. This was bad. She glanced at the Doctor and he was wearing his worried face. Really not good.

"I'm not sad," Amy insisted.

"Then why are you crying?" Vincent asked. Amy reached up and wiped away a stray tear. Then she looked at it as if she couldn't believe it was there. "It's all right. I understand."

"I'm not sure I do."

Really, really not good.

"Amy," she said, trying to interrupt them before this went any further.

"Okay. Okay," the Doctor said, drawing them all to a stop. "So, now, we must have a plan. When the creature returns-"

"Then we shall fight him again," Vincent interrupted.

"Well, yes, tick." He stepped closer to the man. "But last night we were lucky. Rose and Amy could have been killed. So, this time, for a start, we have to make sure I can see him too."

"And how are we meant to do that, suddenly?" Amy asked.

Rose knew exactly how. She caught his gaze and grinned. He smiled back.

"The answer's in this box," he said, lifting the box containing the gadget-y thing. He gave it a tap. "I had an excellent, if smelly, godmother."

Rose laughed, but then stopped as she caught sight of a group of mourners walking down the road towards them. They carried a coffin overhead.

"Oh no," Vincent sighed. "It's that poor girl from the village."

She stood aside with the others, bowing her head respectfully as the mourners passed, but she noticed the bouquet of sunflowers resting on top of it. They needed to find that creature before anyone else died.

"You do have a plan, don't you?" Amy asked after the mourners passed.

"It's a thing," the Doctor replied, glancing at the girl. "It's like a plan, but with more greatness."

"A thing?" Rose asked, taking his hand.

"Yes," he glanced at her, "it's like a plan, but with more greatness."

They shared a smile as they led the way toward the church.

**-0-**

Vincent set his easel up next to the church and put on a fresh canvas. The Doctor knew Amy and Rose were excited about being there, about watching the famous Vincent Van Gogh paint, but he was more interesting in finding the creature at the moment.

The man sat down in the chair he brought and got ready to start the painting. The Doctor bent down, resting his hand on Vincent's shoulder.

"And you'll be sure to tell me if you see any, you know, monsters," he asked.

"Yes," the man replied. "While I may be mad," Vincent glanced back at him, "I'm not stupid."

"No." He glanced at Rose as he stood up. "Quite. And, to be honest," he walked around the chair and bent down next to the man, sighing, "I'm not sure about mad either." He glanced at Vincent. "It seems to me depression is a very complex-"

The man held his finger out and shushed the Doctor, then pointed at the canvas.

"I'm working."

"Well, yes. Paint." He stood up, not entirely happy with being shushed, but he did need to find that creature and to do that Vincent needed to paint. "Do painting!" He stepped back and watched for a minute. Waited. Paced. Checked his watch. Glanced at Rose who was grinning as she watched Vincent pant. He glanced at Amy. She was doing the same thing. "I remember watching Michael Angelo painting the Sistine Chapel." Neither of them looked at him. "Wow! What a winger. I kept saying to him, look, if you're scared of heights, you shouldn't have taken the job mate." Rose laughed. He caught her gaze, smiling. Amy leaned around Vincent and shushed him. He decided to pretend he didn't hear her. "And Picasso. What a ghastly old goat. I kept telling him, concentrate, Pablo." He stepped over to Vincent. "It's one eye, either side of the face."

"Quiet," Amy insisted, grabbing his arm.

Then Rose took his other arm and led him away from Vincent and Amy.

"Let's go for a walk, yeah?" she asked, grinning.

"A walk?" he inquired. They were waiting for a monster to appear so they could risk their lives, well, he could risk his because he wouldn't let them get hurt, and she wanted to go for a walk?

"Please?" she asked and her grin turned a bit cheeky.

He smiled and then, involuntarily, made a strange giggling noise that he'd never heard nor made before. What the hell was that? Her grin widened. He cleared his throat, scowling and mentally telling his body to never, ever do that again as she led him away.

"Not too far," he protested, glancing back at Vincent. "Just in case."

Because now he wasn't entirely sure he ought to wonder off with her if his body was going to do all kinds of strange things and…

"Are you afraid to be alone with me?" she asked and his eyes immediately snapped to hers because her voice had gone all flirty.

He imagined it. Must have, but she was still giving him that cheeky grin and looking at him in a way that made him…

"Why? Were you planning something?" he asked, his voice taking on a teasing tone all on its own.

"And what if I was?"

What if she was planning something? Oh. That would be….Wait. This was Rose. She didn't do that…he thought back to the times they traveled together, all those flirty glances and leaning too close to him and…maybe she did. Before he could stop himself another one of those giggles came out. This was really not good. He stopped and eyed her, which was very hard to do with her looking at him like that.

"Hang on," he said. "Did you think I was asking if you were planning something about the creature or, or planning something w-with, um, about…?" He trailed off not entirely sure what to say. He knew what he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure if he should say because if that's not what she meant then, well, best not get into that.

"Yep," she replied, catching his gaze.

"But no, that, that doesn't tell me anything. Which one did you think I meant?"

"Doctor, I know exactly what you were asking."

Another answer that wasn't an answer. Was she doing that on purpose? Not just that, but the whole flirty thing and looking at him in a way that made him want to forget the creature, go back to the TARDIS and…

"W-we should…um…check Vincent's progress," he said, taking her hand, turning around and walking back toward Amy and Vincent.

He knew if he didn't get back to the others at that moment he might just act on his instincts, which weren't telling him to hunt monsters, but were telling him to do…he gave her a sideways glance…other things.

**-0-**

It had been a few hours and still nothing happened. No sign of the creature and Vincent was nearing the end of his painting. Even though the creature wasn't there, there was something…something not right, but Rose couldn't put her finger on it.

"Is this how time normally passes?" the Doctor sighed from where he was sitting, on the ground. "Really slowly. In the right order." He stood up and crossed the yard. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's an unpunctual alien attack."

"Are you okay?" Amy asked.

He wasn't. Rose could tell he was worried, had been for a while and she knew it had nothing to do with that whole flirty thing they'd been doing earlier, although it had surprised her how easily she fell into that with him, but then they had flirted before, just on a lower level. And the way he giggled, she almost laughed thinking about it, not the same as he used to, but she liked it. The look on his face told her he hadn't expected that to happen, which almost made her laugh again, but there were other things to address, like that something off feeling she had.

"Doctor, there's something-" she began, glancing at him.

"Yes, there's something not right and I can't quite put my finger on it," he said.

"There," Vincent exclaimed, pointing at the church. "He's at the window."

"Where?" he asked.

"There, on the right," the man replied, pointing at one of the windows.

"As I thought. Come on," he said, taking her hand and leading her toward the church. He picked up the case containing the gadget-y thing. She was glad he was keeping his word about not trying to insist she stay behind anymore. "We're going in."

"Well, I'm coming too," Vincent said.

"No!" The Doctor stopped and turned around, putting his hand up to halt the other man. "You're Vincent Van Gogh." He shook his head. "No."

"But you're not armed. Neither one of you."

"But I am."

"What with?"

"Overconfidence, this," he tapped the case, "and a small screwdriver." Rose couldn't help laughing. "We're absolutely sorted. Just have to find the right creosotic setting and stun him with it. Sonic never fails."

"Never?" Rose asked, raising her brow and grinning.

She could think of a few instances when it had and it was still rubbish with wood.

"Shut up," he snapped, but then he grinned. "Fine. Almost never." He glanced back at the girl. "Anyway, Amy, only one thought, one simple instruction. Don't follow us under any circumstances."

He motioned for Amy to keep an eye on Vincent, but Rose could tell the girl wasn't staying put.

"I won't," Amy replied.

He took Rose's hand and hurried across the yard.

"You know she's going to follow us," Rose said as they climbed the steps.

"Of course she is," he replied, glancing at her. "None of them stay put and it's entirely your fault."

They stepped into the church and he sat the case down on the nearest bench and opened it. Sorry? How was that her fault?

"Mine? How's Amy not staying put my fault?"

He pulled the gadget-y thing out and began strapping it on.

"You started that whole running off thing." She straightened one of the straps on his shoulder. "I'd tell you to stay put and you would until my back was turned and then off you'd pop."

"Couldn't let you have all the fun," she replied, catching his eye after helping with the front buckle.

Then she gave him the grin she knew would do the trick and it worked. He giggled. She grinned.

"Stop that," he insisted, although she could tell he wasn't as upset as he was making out to be, probably not at all.

"Stop what?" she asked, all innocent like.

"You know what."

"I have no idea what you're going on about, Doctor, but I thought we were going to find that Krafayis."

"Right. Monster," he said, giving her a _I know you know what you're doing _look, which she promptly ignored. "Now, I told you I wouldn't leave you behind again, but that creature's dangerous and, although you can sense it, you can't see it. So-"

He brought her along, but he still wanted her safe. She could understand that, even if she wasn't entirely happy about it, but, at least, she'd be there if he got into a bind, which usually happened.

"Stay back, yeah?" she asked.

"No," he said, taking her hand and grinning. "Stay close."

She smiled and they ran into the room Vincent indicated from outside.

* * *

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**


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